TRANSPORT

Aviation: Radioactive Materials

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information her Department holds on the numbers and movements of flights involving radioactive materials carried within UK airspace.

Jim Fitzpatrick: There is no regulatory requirement for consignors of radioactive material routinely to notify this Department of shipments. Consequently this Department does not hold detailed information on the numbers of flights or materials carried.
	In 2003 the National Radiological Protection Board (now the Radiation Protection Division of the Health Protection Agency (HPA)), acting under contract to the Department for Transport carried out a survey into the radiological consequences of the transport of radioactive material by air. This survey involved gathering data on the numbers of flights transporting radioactive material and hence will provide picture of operations during one particular year (2001).
	The report of this work 'Survey into the Radiological Impact of the Normal Transport of Radioactive Material by Air—Final Report March 2003 (NRPB-W39)' has been placed in the House Library and is available on the HPA website at the following address:
	http://www.hpa.org.Uk/radiation/publications/w_series_reports/2003/nrpb_w39.htm

Departments: Land

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what land she expects to be disposed of by  (a) her Department and  (b) Network Rail between 2007 to 2011; and whether she plans to require that land to be used for social housing.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Information on current and expected surplus Department for Transport land, covering the next three years, has been placed in the Library of the House. Information on 2011 is not yet available and not all of the sites would necessarily be suitable for housing.
	Network Rail is a private sector company whose activities are governed by the regulatory regime and general law. The independent Office of Rail Regulation regulates and monitors the disposal of Network Rail's land.
	It is the responsibility of local planning authorities to identify and release land for housing as part of the planning process. This means that the requirement for the provision of social housing will need to be negotiated and agreed with the local planning authority. The Government have implemented a number of initiatives to assist with land supply for housing. A register of surplus public sector land held by central Government bodies has been established.
	English Partnerships review the sites on the register to identify those which could have the potential for housing development. As at June 2007 there were over 700 sites on the register. Sites are continually being added as they are identified as surplus by landowners and removed once expressions of interest are received after a site has been marketed.

Departments: Legislation

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which Bills introduced by her Department in the last five years did not contain sunset clauses; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Of the enacted Bills introduced by the Department for Transport in the last five years, for the following Acts did not contain any sunset clauses.
	The Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003
	The Traffic Management Act 2004
	The Railways Act 2005
	The Civil Aviation Act 2006
	The Merchant Shipping (Pollution) Act 2006
	The appropriateness of a sunset clause for the whole or any part of any proposed legislation is considered on a case-by-case basis. It is also addressed when a regulatory impact assessment relating to legislation is being prepared.

Driving Offences: Mobile Phones

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much her Department has allocated in each of the next two years to raising awareness of the dangers of using a mobile phone while driving; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Our communications activity to raise awareness of the dangers of using a mobile phone while driving, forms part of the Department's £16 million THINK! road safety campaign, which conveys messages/advice on issues such as drink-driving, speed, motorcycling, use of seat belts and child/teen road safety. Priorities within the campaign are informed by the killed and seriously injured statistics.
	In financial year 2006-07, we allocated £1.6 million to raise awareness of the dangers and changes in penalties for using a mobile phone while driving. A high profile campaign was launched in January 2007 using a mix of television, press, radio and online advertising. There was also an enforcement element to the campaign which was supported by the work of the police.
	Expenditure allocated to the campaign for financial year 2007-08 is £1 million. We are planning an advertising campaign in February 2008 to mark the one-year anniversary of the change in legislation. It is expected that the campaign will comprise television, radio, online and PR activity.

Driving Offences: Mobile Phones

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what assessment she  (a) has made and  (b) plans to make on the effectiveness of section 41D of the Road Traffic Act 1988 in reducing the number of (i) males and (ii) females driving while using a mobile telephone;
	(2)  what research she has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the effect on driving standards if persons guilty of an offence under section 41D of the Road Traffic Act 1988, in lieu of a fine, attend a driving safety course paid for by the offender that includes instruction on the dangers of driving while using a mobile telephone; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department undertakes observational surveys of the number of drivers using mobile phones while driving on a regular basis. The survey for 2007 is under way at the moment and the results will be published later this year. The survey does not differentiate the gender of drivers using mobile phones. The most recent survey published in August 2006 is TRL Leaflet 2100 which is available online at www.trl.co.uk/store/report_list.asp?pid=211
	Research has not been specifically undertaken or commissioned on the effect on driving standards if drivers who would otherwise be prosecuted were to attend driver improvement courses that explained the dangers of using mobile phones while driving.

London Underground: Repairs and Maintenance

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what future maintenance arrangements for the London Underground are being considered by her Department following the entering into administration of Metronet.

Rosie Winterton: It is for the PPP administrators, working with Transport for London and London Underground, to identify the best long-term outcome in terms of the continuance of Metronet's tube maintenance activities. It would be premature to comment on what form this may take while the administration process is still in its early stages.

Lorries

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 25 June 2007,  Official Report, column 520W, on lorries, what level of heavy goods vehicle movements per day on  (a) A-class roads and  (b) motorways causes significant structural or surface wear effects.

Tom Harris: The effect on the structural and surface conditions of a road as a result of an increase in heavy goods traffic is dependent on the prior condition of the road. A detailed survey of a particular road would be necessary to establish the prior structural and surface conditions in order to assess the impact of future traffic. However, motorways in England are well built and typically a busy motorway carries 20,000 heavy goods vehicles per day. A doubling of this flow is likely to have a significant effect on the structural and surface conditions. On the A class roads, the type of construction and the structural and surface conditions are extremely variable. It is not possible to produce a similar estimate.

Metronet: Finance

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what public sector finance commitment is expected to be incurred following the entering into administration of Metronet.

Rosie Winterton: Transport for London and London Underground are in discussions with PPP administrators to identify the best long term financial outcome resulting from the administration of Metronet's activities. It would be premature to comment on any public sector finance commitment while those discussions are still in their early stages.

Motor Vehicles: Testing

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the MOT failure rate is for cars at  (a) three,  (b) four,  (c) five,  (d) six,  (e) seven,  (f) eight,  (g) nine and  (h) 10 years old.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The data held by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) for the failure rate for class 4 vehicles (cars) completed MOT tests carried out from 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 is shown in the following table. VOSA does not hold these records by vehicle age but by the year of registered first use.
	
		
			  Year of first use  Total MOT tests( 1)  (number)  Failure rate (percentage) 
			 2004 782,616 20.51 
			 2003 2,679,600 21.56 
			 2002 2,671,415 24.58 
			 2001 2,538,661 28.57 
			 2000 2,245,549 33.52 
			 1999 2,109,115 37.81 
			 1998 2,025,417 41.64 
			 1997 1,813,091 44.58 
			 (1) Excludes retests 
		
	
	VOSA publishes the overall failure rate for vehicles in an effectiveness report which is available from the House of Commons Library, Business and Transport section. This is also available online at:
	www.vosa.gov.uk .

Railway Stations: Coventry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the proposals to build a railway station at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry; what discussions she has had with Coventry city council on the proposals; and what estimate she has made of the cost of the establishment of such a station.

Tom Harris: It is for the local authority to develop a proposal for a new station which is deliverable, affordable and has a business case. Discussions took place over three years ago following a report which was submitted to the Strategic Rail Authority. The report concluded that the business case was low and there were questions over its deliverability.
	The Department would consider any further work showing that such a station was feasible, fundable and offered value for money.

Roads: Private Finance Initiative

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many roads originally built under private finance initiative contracts have had to undergo reconstruction in each of the last 10 years; and what the cost was to the public purse for the reconstruction of these roads.

Rosie Winterton: No roads originally built under private finance initiative contracts have had to undergo reconstruction in the last 10 years.

Shipping: Radioactive Materials

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times nuclear flasks were shipped from  (a) Torness, Hunterston and Hartlepool power stations and  (b) Bradwell, Sizewell and Dungeness power stations to Sellafield in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The total number of flasks shipped from each power station were as follows:
	
		
			  (a) AGR  st ations 
			   Torness  Hunterston B  Hartlepool  Dungeness B 
			 2002 50 50 50 24 
			 2003 47 60 63 49 
			 2004 42 43 48 48 
			 2005 46 51 35 41 
			 2006 51 55 52 44 
			 2007 (to July) 27 14 12 35 
		
	
	
		
			  (b) Magnox stations 
			   Bradwell  Sizewell A  Dungeness A 
			 2002 43 59 77 
			 2003 34 75 53 
			 2004 52 72 50 
			 2005 75 25 24 
			 2006 36 48 48 
			 2007 (to July) 0 31 20

Transport: Radioactive Materials

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents there were involving the transportation of radioactive material by  (a) air,  (b) road,  (c) rail and  (d) ship in each year since 1977.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Since 1989, annual reports detailing all abnormal events involving the transport of radioactive material in the UK have been prepared by the Health Protection Agency (HPA), working under contract to the Department for Transport. In addition, periodic reports have been produced examining trends in events since the late 1950s. The latest reports in these series are:
	Radiological consequences resulting from accidents and incidents involving the transport of radioactive materials in the UK - 2005 review (HPA-RPD-021)
	Review of events involving the transport of radioactive materials in the UK, from 1958 to 2004, and their radiological consequences (HPA-RPD-014)
	A full list of earlier reports can be found in the reference section of each report. The report detailing events that occurred during 2006 will be published later this year.
	Copies of these reports have been placed in the House Library and recent ones are available on the HPA website. A list of recent reports is also available on the Department's website at the following address.
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/freight/dgt1/publications/notes/theradiologicalimpactofthetr1178

Vehicle and Operator Services Agency: Manpower

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff were employed by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency in each of the last three years; and what percentage of these were employed on  (a) a supply,  (b) a temporary and  (c) an agency basis.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) publishes the average number of staff employed (full time equivalent) in its annual report and accounts which is available on line at www.vosa.gov.uk and from the House of Commons Library, Business and Transport Section.
	 (a) VOSA does not employ any staff on a supply basis.
	 (b) The average number of VOSA staff employed on a casual/fixed term contact, i.e. temporary basis, is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Average number of Staff  Percentage average total staff 
			 2004-05 86 3.2 
			 2005-06 76 2.9 
			 2006-07 88 3.5 
		
	
	 (c) VOSA's annual report and accounts gives the average number of agency and consultancy staff. It is not possible to separately determine agency support.

Vehicle Data Recording Devices

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment her Department has made of the merits of requiring the installation of event data recorders in all new vehicles.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport has not conducted a detailed assessment of this technology; however, there is significant international interest in this subject and research for the European Commission recently reported on the competing technologies, their compatibility with all classes of vehicle and their usefulness in accident reconstruction. The programme also reviewed the legal implications for their use. The European Commission has extended their research to consider the drafting of technical, legal and administrative standards for use as mandatory or as recommended requirements for electronic data recorder implementation in Europe.
	We have held discussions with the European Commission and intend to contribute to the development of the standards for this technology.

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMISSION

National Audit Office

John Pugh: To ask the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission if the Commission will publish  (a) all papers originally supplied to it on the Comptroller and Auditor General's travel expenses and related Inland Revenue payments made by the National Audit Office and  (b) any subsequent revisions or amendments to those papers.

Alan Williams: All papers supplied to the Commission on the Comptroller and Auditor General's travel expenses and related Inland Revenue payments made by the National Audit Office have been published on the Commission's website
	http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/public_accounts_commisison.cfm.

DEFENCE

Armed Forces: Manpower

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) regular military personnel,  (b) Territorial Army and other part-time military personnel and  (c) civilian personnel were employed by his Department in (i) total, (ii) Yorkshire and the Humber, (iii) North Yorkshire and (iv) City of York in each year since 1979.

Derek Twigg: The following table shows total UK Regular Forces and Civilian Personnel Strength at 1 April, in each year since 1979.
	
		
			  As at 1 April:  UK regular forces  Civilian personnel 
			 1979 315,000 (1)— 
			 1980 320,600 (1)— 
			 1981 333,800 (1)— 
			 1982 327,600 (1)— 
			 1983 320,600 (1)— 
			 1984 325,900 (1)— 
			 1985 326,200 (1)— 
			 1986 322,500 (1)— 
			 1987 319,900 (1)— 
			 1988 316,900 (1)— 
			 1989 311,700 (1)— 
			 1990 305,800 (1)— 
			 1991 299,500 (1)— 
			 1992 293,500 (1)— 
			 1993 274,800 159,600 
			 1994 254,500 149,100 
			 1995 233,300 141,300 
			 1996 221,900 135,400 
			 1997 210,800 133,300 
			 1998 210,100 126,300 
			 1999 208,600 123,000 
			 2000 207,600 121,300 
			 2001 205,600 118,200 
			 2002 204,700 110,100 
			 2003 206,900 107,600 
			 2004 207,000 109,000 
			 2005 201,100 108,500 
			 2006 195,900 103,900 
			 2007 (2) 190,400 98,000 
			 (1) denotes not available. Civilian data prior to 1993 are not available in centrally held databases. As a result it is not possible to produce a consistent time series since 1979 without incurring disproportionate cost. (2) denotes provisional. Due to the introduction of a new Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) system, armed forces data at 1 April 2007 are provisional and subject to review. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 100.  Notes:  1. UK regular forces includes Nursing services and excludes Full Time Reserve Service personnel, Gurkhas, the Home Service battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment and mobilised reservists. It includes trained and untrained personnel. 2. Civilian strengths are based on the revised definition of MOD civilian personnel introduced in April 2004. MOD civilian total includes locally engaged civilians, Royal fleet auxiliary personnel and overseas personnel outside UK. 
		
	
	The strength of UK Reserve Forces (including Volunteer and Regular Reserves) from 1990 to 2006 is available in table 2.14 of United Kingdom Defence Statistics (UKDS) 2006 and is available at:
	http://www.dasa.mod.uk/natstats/ukds/2006/c2/table214.html
	Data on the Reserve Forces are not available in centrally held databases. As a result it is not possible to produce a consistent time series since 1979 without incurring disproportionate cost.
	The strength of UK Regular Forces posted in the Yorkshire and Humber Government Office Region (GOR) is available in table 4 of Tri-Service Publication (TSP) 10—UK Regular Forces distribution across UK. The most recent tri-service publication is at 1 April 2006 and is available at:
	http://www.dasa.mod.uk/natstats/tsp 10/tsp_10_apr06.pdf
	Copies of TSP 10 are available in the Library of the House and are also available at
	www.dasa.mod.uk.
	TSP 10 data are not available in centrally held databases. As a result it is not possible to produce a consistent time series since 1979 without incurring disproportionate cost.
	Data on the posted location of Volunteer Reserve forces are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The following table shows civilian personnel strength in Yorkshire and the Humber, North Yorkshire and the City of York.
	
		
			   Civilian Personnel 
			  As at 1 April:  Yorkshire and the Humber  North Yorkshire  City of York 
			 1993 5,320 n/a  
			 1994 5,080 n/a n/a 
			 1995 4,670 n/a n/a 
			 1996 3,860 n/a n/a 
			 1997 3,750 n/a n/a 
			 1998 3,510 n/a n/a 
			 1999 3,490 n/a n/a 
			 2000 3,300 n/a n/a 
			 2001 3,290 n/a n/a 
			 2002 3,410 n/a n/a 
			 2003 3,560 n/a n/a 
			 2004 3,910 n/a n/a 
			 2005 3,910 n/a n/a 
			 2006 3,690 2,000 760 
			 2007 3,590 1,980 650 
			 n/a = not available  Note: Civilian data by local authority for North Yorkshire and City of York is only available for April 2006 onwards. Prior to this it is not possible to produce a consistent time series without incurring disproportionate cost.

Bombs

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the minimum number of submunitions is which a weapon must carry for it to be defined as a cluster munition.

Bob Ainsworth: There is no international definition of a cluster munition, nor of the number of sub-munitions a weapon must carry in order to be classed as a cluster munition. An element of the UK's own understanding is that a weapon should carry more than 10 sub-munitions in order to satisfy the definition of a cluster munition.

British Merchant Fleet

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent research he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the implications of likely future numbers in UK Merchant Navy officers for future military operations.

Bob Ainsworth: There has been no specific research commissioned or evaluated recently by the Department on the implications of the likely future numbers of UK Merchant Navy officers on future military operations.

Defence Export Services Organisation

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans the Government have for the future of the Defence Export Services Organisation; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence on 16 July 2007,  Official Report, column 13W, to the hon. Member for Twickenham (Dr. Cable).

Defence Export Services Organisation

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff are employed by the Defence Export Service Organisation (DESO); what estimate he has made of the volume of UK defence exports which are principally attributable to the work of DESO since 1995; and if he will make a statement on the future of DESO.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 23 July 2007
	For the number of staff employed in the Defence Exports Services Organisation (DESO), I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my predecessor on 1 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1542W, to the hon. Member for Totnes (Mr. Steen). On the future of DESO, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence on 16 July 2007,  Official Report, column 13W, to the hon. Member for Twickenham (Dr. Cable).
	The annual value of total export orders won in recent years is given in UK Defence Statistics, published annually. These reflect a number of factors, including the contribution made by support from DESO.

Defence Medical Services: Manpower

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) requirement and  (b) percentage of required personnel in post is in the medical corps of the (i) Army, (ii) Royal Navy and (iii) Royal Air Force.

Derek Twigg: The information for uniformed medical and dental professional (i.e. a total of doctor, dentist, nurse and allied health professional cadres) is set out in the following table. The numbers are as at 1 April 2007.
	
		
			   RN  Army  RAF 
			 Requirement 1,529 4,803 1,919 
			 Manning 1,242 3,417 1,527 
			 Percentage in post 81.22 71.14 79.57 
		
	
	The Department is taking active steps to address the shortfalls, through a range of pay and non-remunerative initiatives including:
	 (a) Payment of "Golden Hellos" to direct entrants into specialist areas where there is greatest shortfall.
	 (b) Payment of Financial Retention Initiatives to encourage individuals in operational pinch point specialities to return to and remain in speciality.
	 (c) Managing medical deployments on a tri-Service basis allowing the workload to be shared more evenly and maximising capabilities.
	 (d) Prioritising resources to support operations.
	 (e) Establishing alternative means of meeting operational commitments (e.g. use of Reserves and civilian agency contractors and working closely with allies on operations.
	 (f) Continued development of military career pathways. For example, we are implementing the Defence Nursing Strategy to enhance the career pathway for military nurses. As part of this initiative, Defence Specialist Nursing Advisors have been appointed for each specialism, to plan and manage recruitment and retention in their own specialism.
	 (g) Encouraging personnel to train and remain in operational pinch point specialities.
	The Department has met all the operational requirements and the level of medical care remains extremely high.

Departments: Land

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what land he expects to be disposed of by his Department between 2007 to 2011; and whether he plans to require that land to be used for social housing.

Derek Twigg: This Department keeps its estate under constant review to meet present and planned future requirements, with a view to disposing of surplus assets as quickly as possible. A list of the sites in the present programme and those earmarked for future disposal is available in the Library of the House of Commons.
	The MOD welcomes the Government's latest housing initiative and will assist with the (draft) Housing Green Paper by continuing to work closely with English Partnerships, the Regional Development Agencies, local authorities and other key stakeholders when considering its disposal strategy. This will often include an assessment of development and regeneration opportunities, including the need for social housing, through the preparation of a planning briefer outline planning application.

Departments: Public Transport

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what incentives he has considered to encourage staff in his Department to use public transport.

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence encourages the use of more sustainable travel as part its work on sustainable development. The Department offers civilian staff interest free loans to purchase bicycles and public transport season tickets for commuting to and from their place of work.

Depleted Uranium

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent estimate he has made of the number of blue on blue incidents in which UK forces have been hit by depleted uranium munitions; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence is aware of one friendly fire incident on 28 March 2003 in Iraq in which British troops were injured or killed by depleted uranium based ammunition.

Gulf War Syndrome

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received from the Royal British Legion on Gulf War illnesses.

Derek Twigg: The Royal British Legion (RBL), Gulf War Group, recently published a policy paper entitled "Gulf War: a legacy of suspicion" on concerns with respect to 1990-91 Gulf veterans' illnesses. I was sent a copy of this following my attendance at their conference to consider the points raised by the report. I will provide them with a formal response, explaining our position on the policy priorities set out in the document.

Gulf War Syndrome: Ex Gratia Payments

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make an ex gratia payment to Gulf War veterans who have suffered illnesses; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: Gulf veterans receive compensation proportionate to the seriousness of their disablement in the form of war pensions and attributable armed forces pensions, in the same way as other ex-servicemen or women who suffer illness or injury as a result of their service. The Ministry of Defence has no plans to make an ex gratia payment to Gulf War Veterans.

Iraq: Bombs

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research the UK has undertaken to assess the humanitarian impact of the use of cluster munitions containing M85 submunitions in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Lebanon.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 23 July 2007
	 The UK does not carry out post-conflict humanitarian impact assessments after munitions, including cluster munitions, have been used; there is no requirement to do so under International Humanitarian Law. The priority following operations is to clear unexploded ordnance in order to provide freedom of movement for our forces and conduct the highest priority clearance operations that threaten civilian lives.
	We recognise that Explosive Remnants of War, caused by unexploded ordnance, including cluster munitions, are a humanitarian problem. That is why the UK has played an active role at the UN in creating a new legally binding protocol containing a number of new legally binding provisions that will provide significant humanitarian benefit to those civilians in areas affected by Explosive Remnants of War. We are urging all states to sign and ratify this protocol as soon as possible. We are in the process of ratifying this and the MOD is in the process of implementing its provisions. The universal implementation of this will drive a significant reduction in the post-conflict effects of Explosive Remnants of War.
	We are still waiting for the outcome of the Israeli inquiry into their use of cluster munitions in Lebanon. To date the UK has contributed £2.7 million towards the clearance of unexploded munitions, including cluster munitions, in Lebanon. This is specifically intended to minimise the humanitarian impact of unexploded submunitions and other Explosive Remnants of War.

Military Aircraft: Helicopters

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to increase the number of operationally deployable helicopters.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 17 July 2007
	 We announced on 30 March the purchase of six new Merlin helicopters, which will be available within a year, and the conversion of existing Chinook Mk 3 helicopters currently estimated to be available in two years. We keep our equipment requirements under constant review to ensure the appropriate number of platforms is available for operational deployment. In addition, work under the Future Rotorcraft Capability programme will ensure we are able to meet our battlefield support helicopter capabilities in the long-term.

Navy: Career Structure

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether there has been (a) a freeze  (b) a slowdown in the rate of promotion of (i) officers and (ii) other ranks in the Royal Navy; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: There has not been a freeze in the rate of promotion numbers in the naval service. There is a temporary reduction in promotion, primarily officers for the period 2007-10 recovering to present levels by 2012. There has been a slight temporary reduction in overall promotion numbers for warrant officers but other senior rate promotions currently remain steady.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Subsidies

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farmers received  (a) up to £50,000,  (b) £50,001 to £100,000,  (c) £100,001 to £150,000,  (d) £150,001 to £200,000,  (e) £200,001 to £250,000,  (f) £250,001 to £300,000,  (g) £300,001 to £350,000,  (h) £350,001 to £400,000,  (i) £400,001 to £450,000 and  (j) £450,001 to £500,000 in single payment scheme payments for 2006.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 19 July 2007
	The number of claimants who have received payments to date for the Single Payment Scheme year 2006 are as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Up to £50,000 100,704 
			 £50,001 to £100,000 4,990 
			 £100,001 to £150,000 1,024 
			 £150,001 to £200,000 303 
			 £200,001 to £250,000 118 
			 £250,001 to £300,000 52 
			 £300,001 to £350,000 24 
			 £350,001 to £400,000 22 
			 £400,001 to £450,000 11 
			 £450,001 to £500,000 9 
		
	
	The assessment of claims paid has been updated from my earlier response given to the hon. Gentleman on 10 July 2007,  Official Report, column 1365W, and reflects additional payments made in the intervening period, moving certain claimants into the >£50,000 banding.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the potential effect of funding withheld by the EU in relation to the Single Farm Payment scheme on resources available for flood defences; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: There has been no effect on resources dedicated to flood defences as a result of EU penalties (disallowance) made by the EU in relation to the Single Farm Payment scheme as these payments have been met from a separate ring-fenced budget. This arrangement will continue for future years.
	The Government are committed to effective management of flood risk. Over £4 billion has been invested across England on flood and coastal erosion risk management since 1996-97. Around £600 million is to be spent by DEFRA and local authorities this year compared to £307 million in 1996-97 and this is set to increase to £800 million in 2010-11.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Robert Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many outstanding single farm payments there are from  (a) 2005 and  (b) 2006 to be made to farmers in the South West.

Jonathan R Shaw: As of 18 July 2007, 15 claimants have not received a payment for the 2005 single payment scheme (SPS).
	Under the SPS for 2006 107,279 customers have received either a full or partial payment. This represents 98.4 per cent. of the estimated total claimant population of 109,000.
	We are not at this stage in a position to advise when the detailed analysis of payments made under SPS will be made available.

Air Conditioning: Energy

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the environmental impact of recent trends in the use of residential air conditioning in the UK.

Joan Ruddock: Data from the Energy Saving Trust indicates that sales of domestic air conditioners increased from 32,800 in 2005-06 to 72,300 in 2006-07.
	In 2005-06, about 73 per cent. of the units sold were "B" rated under the EU Council directive 92/75/EEC, and only 0.85 per cent. were "A" rated. In 2006-07, the share of "A" rated air conditioning appliances had increased to 15 per cent., and the share of "B" rated appliances dropped to 50 per cent. However, a small number of new air conditioners, which also act as heaters, have appeared on the market. These are less efficient.
	A domestic "A" rated air conditioner is expected to use around 320 kWh/year of electricity. For comparison, a three bed-roomed semi-detached house built to 2005 Building Regulations and without electric heating, is expected to use around 4,250 kWh/year of electricity. The purchase of an "A" rated air conditioner, and its associated energy consumption would therefore result in additional carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of around 138 kgCO2 /year. The 72,300 domestic air conditioners purchased in 2006-07 would therefore be expected to increase CO2 emissions by at least 9,900 tonnes CO2 per year.
	Domestic air-conditioning equipment is also likely to use fluorinated greenhouse gases as the refrigerant. If this is emitted it will contribute towards global warming. Under the EC Regulation No 842/2006 on certain fluorinated greenhouse gases, users of air-conditioning equipment must ensure that any detected leakage is repaired as soon as possible. More complex domestic equipment will need to be installed by a qualified person once further European Commission proposals currently under discussion are agreed and implemented.
	Under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations (2006), consumers are able to return their residential air conditioning units to a designated collection facility free of charge at end of life, and producers are responsible for financing their subsequent treatment and recycling.

Animal Welfare: Research

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will list the research projects funded by his Department into issues related to animal health and welfare in each of the last 10 years; and how much funding was allocated to each project.

Jonathan R Shaw: The number of animal health and welfare research projects funded by DEFRA in the last 10 years can be found in the following table:
	
		
			  Project area  Number of R and D projects 
			 Animal Welfare 264 
			 BSE and other TSEs 128 
			 Disease Prevention 286 
			 Endemic Disease and Zoonoses 175 
			 Veterinary Medicines 73 
		
	
	A full breakdown and funding for each of these projects can be found on the DEFRA website.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance he has issued on the measures that cattle farmers can undertake under EU Council Directive 58/98/EC of 20 July 1998 Annex paragraph 12, to prevent tuberculosis reactors originating from wildlife contaminating cattle on farms; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA, in partnership with the Bovine TB Husbandry Working Group, has produced guidance for farmers to reduce the risk of TB transmission. This includes a number of measures to reduce the risk of contact between cattle and badgers, one of which is being aware of the risk areas at pasture such as badgers setts and latrines.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cattle have been slaughtered as a precaution against bovine tuberculosis in the last five years; and what proportion of those cattle were confirmed to have been infected with the disease.

Jonathan R Shaw: Following a bovine TB (bTB) breakdown we aim to confirm the presence of the disease at herd level by post-mortem inspection and culture of Mycobacterium bovis in the laboratory. We do not culture samples from every single animal slaughtered, and so it is not possible to identify the proportion of slaughtered animals with confirmed TB. It is also important to note that failure to confirm the disease by post-mortem examination at the slaughterhouse or by culturing the causative bacterium in the laboratory does not mean that an animal was not infected with bTB. In the early stages of this infectious disease, it is not always possible to see lesions with the naked eye, and due to the fastidious nature of the organism, it is not possible to culture it from tissue samples in every case.
	The following table shows cattle TB data for Britain between 2002 and 2006.
	
		
			  Bovine TB in Britain 
			   Number of cattle slaughtered under bTB control measures( 1)  Number of cattle in which bTB confirmed 
			 2006 22,242 7,472 
			 2005 30,081 8,714 
			 2004 23,064 6,422 
			 2003 23,821 6,308 
			 2002(2) 23,744 6,993 
			 Total 122,952 35,909 
			 (1) TB reactors, inconclusive reactors and direct contacts.  (2) In 2001, the TB testing and control programme was largely suspended due to the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak. When testing resumed in 2002, resources were concentrated on herds with overdue TB tests which would have had a longer period in which to contract the disease. Also the proportion of high risk herds tested immediately after the FMD outbreak was greater than that prior to the outbreak. As a result, the number of confirmed TB reactors in 2002 is not comparable with other years.   Note:  The table shows provisional data, as downloaded from the Animal Health Data Warehouse. This is subject to change as more data becomes available.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cases of bovine TB were recorded in each English region in each year since 2000.

Jonathan R Shaw: The number of confirmed new bovine tuberculosis (bTB) incidents in each Animal Health region in England for each year since 2000 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of confirmed new TB incidents( 1)  by Animal Health region 
			   West  North  East  England total 
			 1 January to 30 April 2007 500 76 17 593 
			 2006 1,308 199 57 1,564 
			 2005 1,440 207 31 1,678 
			 2004 1,228 165 30 1,423 
			 2003 1,126 159 27 1,312 
			 2002 1,318 203 22 1,543 
			 2001(2) 332 47 4 383 
			 2000 840 45 9 894 
			 (1) Table shows provisional data, as downloaded from the Animal Health Data Warehouse. This is subject to change as more data becomes available. (2) In 2001, the TB testing and control programme was largely suspended due to the foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak. When testing resumed in 2002, resources were concentrated on herds with overdue TB tests which would have had a longer period in which to contract the disease. Also the proportion of high risk herds tested immediately after the FMD outbreak was greater than that prior to the outbreak. As a result, the number of confirmed TB incidents in 2001 and 2002 are not comparable with other years.  Note: When interpreting these statistics, it is important to bear in mind that a proportion of bTB incidents remain unclassified, awaiting the results of culture tests which can take several months. Therefore the number of confirmed incidents will currently be under-recorded. For instance, 21.6 per cent. of new bTB incidents in January to April 2007 were unclassified when the data were extracted.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Angela Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to make a decision on measures to tackle bovine tuberculosis following the final report of the Independent Scientific Group on Cattle Tuberculosis.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 19 July 2007
	 There is no timetable for an announcement on this issue. We are carefully considering the issues that the Independent Scientific Group (ISG) on Cattle Tuberculosis report raises, and will continue to work with the industry, Government advisers and scientific experts in reaching a final policy decision on this issue.

Bovine Tuberculosis: South West Region

Robert Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many new cases of bovine tuberculosis in the South West were recorded since 1997.

Jonathan R Shaw: The number of confirmed new bovine tuberculosis (bTB) incidents in South West England for each year since 1997 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Confirmed new TB incidents in South West England( 1) 
			   Number 
			 2007 (January to April) 382 
			 2006 971 
			 2005 1,101 
			 2004 958 
			 2003 857 
			 2002 1,047 
			 2001(2) 252 
			 2000 676 
			 1999 543 
			 1998 459 
			 1997 326 
			 (1) Provisional data, as downloaded from the Animal Health Data Warehouse is subject to change as more data becomes available.  (2) In 2001, the TB testing and control programme was largely suspended due to the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak. When testing resumed in 2002, resources were concentrated on herds with overdue TB tests which would have had a longer period in which to contract the disease. Also the proportion of high risk herds tested immediately after the FMD outbreak was greater than that prior to the outbreak. As a result, the number of confirmed TB incidents in 2001 and 2002 are not comparable with other years.   Note:  South West England comprises Avon, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire 
		
	
	When interpreting these statistics it is important to bear in mind that a proportion of bTB incidents remain unclassified, awaiting the results of culture tests which can take several months. Therefore the number of confirmed incidents will currently be under-recorded. For instance, 21.6 per cent. of new bTB incidents in January to April 2007 were unclassified when the data were extracted.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Vaccination

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made in developing a vaccine against bovine tuberculosis for  (a) badgers and  (b) cows; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The research programme for producing an effective vaccine against tuberculosis in  (a) badgers and  (b) cattle remains broadly in line with the timetable outlined in the Krebs report (1997). This estimated:
	Years 1 to 5: Identification of candidate vaccines and development of differential diagnostic tests;
	Years 5 to 10: Experimental investigations of vaccination protocols;
	Years 10 to 15: Field trials.
	The first stage started in 1999 and is ongoing. The second stage has started and work on badger vaccines includes a three and a half year vaccine field trial to gather safety data and assess efficacy on injectable Bacille Calmette-Guerin, and a project on developing oral formulations. The cattle vaccine research programme includes a natural transmission study looking at various candidate vaccines.

Carbon Emissions

Robert Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what level of carbon emissions resulted from large commercial and public sector organisations in the latest year for which figures are available.

Joan Ruddock: The Public Sector was responsible for 4 per cent.(1) of UK CO2 emissions. Electricity consumption accounted for approximately 10.2 Mt of CO2 emissions in 2005—about 47 per cent. of the public sector's total emission.
	The energy service directives to be implemented by 17 May 2008 set a national indicative target of 9 per cent. energy savings in member states by 2017. Article 5 requires the public sector to fulfil an exemplary role in delivering the directive. In fulfilling this role the Government will implement measures relating to the procurement of energy using products and/or buildings. These will be applied across the public sector alongside published guidance on how energy efficiency and energy savings can be used as a possible assessment criterion in procurement.
	Emissions from the commercial sector amounted to 9 per cent. of total UK emissions in 2005, including 39.5 Mt CO2 from electricity use, around 76 per cent. of total emissions from this sector.
	(1) All percentages and emissions are quoted on a final user basis—emissions from the energy supply (power stations, refineries, mining etc) sector are reallocated to the sector where the electricity or fuels are used. Emissions from the UK Overseas Territories are excluded from these figures.

Crops: Disease Control

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent research he has evaluated on Tilletia Indica and Karnal Bunt disease of wheat; and if he will undertake a new pest risk analysis of the fungus.

Jonathan R Shaw: Karnal Bunt disease (Tilletia Indica) is not known to be present in Europe. Originally found in south Asia, it has more recently spread to the USA and South Africa. The disease is difficult to treat and can affect grain quality.
	An EU funded research project, which has drawn upon the expertise of scientific experts from a number of member states and from outside the EU, has recently completed a pest risk analysis (PRA) of the implications which the entry and establishment of this organism poses to the EU. A revised UK PRA which takes account of this work is currently subject to public consultation. Details are available on the DEFRA plant health website.
	All replies received in response to the consultation process will be considered.

Departments: Common Purpose

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department paid to Common Purpose in each of the last five years; for what purpose; and what the outcome of the expenditure was.

Jonathan R Shaw: Common Purpose is a leadership development organisation that aims to improve the way society works by running a variety of educational programmes for leaders of all ages, backgrounds and sectors.
	Since DEFRA came into being in June 2001 and from information held centrally, the core-Department has spent £658 with Common Purpose.

Departments: Crime

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what criminal offences have been created by primary legislation sponsored by his Department since October 2006.

Jonathan R Shaw: Most of the provisions of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 came into force on 6 April 2007. The Act largely consolidates and updates predecessor legislation in the field of animal welfare and most of the offences are not "new" in this sense. The following offences in the Act have come into force:
	
		
			   Offence 
			 Section 4 Causing and allowing unnecessary suffering of animals 
			 Section 5 Mutilation of animals 
			 Section 6 Docking of dogs' tails 
			 Section 7 Administration of poisons to animals 
			 Section 8 Various offences relating to animal fighting 
			 Section 9 Breach of duty to ensure welfare 
			 Section 10 Improvement notices 
			 Section 11 Selling animals or giving as prizes to children under 16 
			 Section 13(6) Activities which must be licensed or registered under the section (none yet provided for in secondary legislation) 
			 Section 18(12) Obstruction of a person exercising powers in relation to animals in distress 
			 Section 20(7) Obstruction of a person exercising powers relating to court orders regarding animals in distress taken into possession 
			 Section 34(9) Breach of disqualification order 
			 Section 41(7) Selling or parting with animal subject to a suspended deprivation order 
			 Section 46(2) Breach of disqualification order in Scotland 
			 Section 50(1) Selling or parting with an animal subject to a suspended deprivation or seizure order in Scotland 
			 Section 50(2) Obstructing a person carrying out a deprivation, seizure or interim order in Scotland 
			 Section 56(3) Failure to deliver documents or carry out directions pursuant to court order 
			 Schedule 2, paragraph 16 Obstructing a person exercising various powers or failing to give assistance to a person exercising various powers where assistance is required

Departments: Databases

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the annual budget is of the open access database; how many hits it has had per month since it came into operation; and what plans he has to expand its use.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 19 July 2007
	 I am not aware that an open access database exists.
	However, Natural England's Open Access website is part of a service contracted out to IBM which also covers the operation and maintenance of the Open Access Restrictions Casework System and the Open Access Contact Centre. The total cost of the contract is £1,704,577 but not all of that amount relates to the website. It is not possible to break this figure down further.
	The average number of hits to the website between April 2005 and January 2007 is 7,868 per month.
	Natural England is currently reviewing the website's use as well as the contract with IBM.

Departments: Ministerial Red Boxes

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many ministerial red boxes his Department bought in each of the last five years; what the cost of each was; who the suppliers were: and what tendering process was used in selecting them.

Jonathan R Shaw: During the last five years DEFRA has purchased two ministerial red boxes, both were in financial year 2005-06, at a cost of £750.00 each. They were supplied by Banner Business Supplies.
	As the value of orders was below the minimum HM Treasury threshold for competition, the orders were placed on a single tender basis with Banner Business Supplies.

Departments: Official Visits

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was spent on overnight accommodation by civil servants within his Department's areas of responsibilities in the last 12 months.

Jonathan R Shaw: From information held centrally, the core Department spent £1,354,759 on overnight accommodation for civil servants in the last 12 months. Information on such expenditure by Defra's executive agencies and NDPBs is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Publicity

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the cost-effectiveness of advertising commissioned by his Department in the last 12 months.

Jonathan R Shaw: For details of the expenditure on advertising and marketing campaigns conducted by the Department, I refer the hon. Member to the answers given on 19 June 2007,  Official Report, column 1665W, and on 25 June 2007,  Official Report, column 67W.
	The Department regularly carries out research and evaluation into the effectiveness of its advertising as part of the marketing process. In the last 12 months, the following research and evaluation into advertising effectiveness has been commissioned by the Department's Communication Directorate:
	1. Animal Welfare Act communications—research was commissioned to test the changes in awareness of, and attitudes to, the Animal Welfare Act following a range of communications activity including press advertising. The research was conducted by BMRB.
	2. Personal Food Imports campaign—research was commissioned to test the changes in awareness of legislation on importing food into the UK, and awareness and attitudes to the campaign, among BME audiences, following a range of communications activity including poster, phone booth and radio advertising. The research was conducted by IFF Research.
	3. Act on CO2 Climate Change campaign—research has been commissioned to test awareness and impact of the advertising, awareness of the branding and recall of messages. The campaign comprises a range of communications activity including TV, press and online advertising. The research will be conducted by BRMB.
	In the last year DEFRA's expenditure on recruitment advertising was £332,000. In the main this was for board level appointments to DEFRA and its partner organisations and specialist posts. The contract for this work was re-tendered at the beginning of the financial year to provide better value for money and a focus on use of the most effective channels to reach potential recruits.

Disadvantaged: Rural Areas

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many of the 23 recommendations of the Commission for Rural Communities in the report Rural Disadvantage and Priorities for Action have been implemented.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Commission for Rural Communities "Rural Disadvantage and Priorities for Action" report does not present a list of recommendations as such.
	The report states:
	"these are not detailed recommendations of how and when action is needed, nor who should take forward the work".
	The report was intended to identify priorities for action to form the start of a debate on how they should be achieved and provide a foundation to help shape the future work of the Commission itself.
	Many of the issues identified in the report are already the focus of significant Government attention through a range of existing mechanisms.
	We welcome the lead taken by the Commission in taking stock of issues affecting rural people and communities, and in identifying priority work to pursue with a wide range of partners, including those living in rural areas.

Dogs: Animal Welfare

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research he has evaluated on the use of electric shock collars on dogs; when his Department will begin such research; how much this study is expected to cost; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 24 July 2007
	DEFRA has now evaluated the single proposal received in response to the limited tender call circulated in July 2006. We very much hope that a three-year programme of research will begin in September 2007. As soon as any DEFRA research is commissioned, details, including likely costs, will be put in the public domain.
	I also refer the hon. Member to the answers my predecessor the hon. Member for Exeter (Mr. Bradshaw) gave on 6 December 2006,  Official Report, column 420W and 8 January 2007,  Official Report, column 272W.

Flood Control

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reason previously planned flood defence schemes for areas at risk did not go ahead in 2007.

Phil Woolas: DEFRA and local authority spending on flood and coastal erosion risk management has increased markedly, from £307 million each year in 1996-97 to some £600 million this year, and will rise to £800 million in 2010-11.

Food: Retail Trade

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will take steps to encourage retailers to sell locally-grown food.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 19 July 2007
	The DEFRA-funded quality regional food programme is delivered on our behalf by Food From Britain (FFB). It includes a number of initiatives aimed at encouraging retailers to stock more quality regional and local foods. These include both regional and national 'meet the buyer' events and support for a series of guides aimed at making it easier for regional and local food producers to supply both supermarkets and the food service sector. In addition, we have helped facilitate more local sourcing of food by providing funding to address issues such as distribution, marketing and the encouragement of new outlets.

Livestock Industry: Research

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will list the research projects which have been funded by his Department into the impact of livestock husbandry on climate change.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA (and previously MAFF) has, since 1990, funded a specific programme of research on measuring and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture—including the contribution of livestock husbandry. I have arranged for the list of all current and recently completed projects under DEFRA's existing agriculture and climate change research programme to be placed in the Library of the House. A list of projects going back to 1997 will also be placed in the Library of the House.
	As an example of the work in which we are investing under this programme, we have recently commissioned a three-year project to identify nutritional strategies for ruminants that will reduce methane and nitrogen emissions.
	There are other relevant projects outside the agriculture and climate change research programme that also explore the impacts of livestock on climate change. These include a study on environmental burdens and resource use in the production of agricultural and horticultural commodities '(Determining the environmental burdens and resource use in the production of agricultural and horticultural commodities. DEFRA project report IS020);' a report on the Environmental Impacts of Food Production and Consumption; and a life-cycle assessment of certain food commodities, including beef and lamb '(Comparative life-cycle assessment of food commodities procured for UK consumption through a diversity of supply chains (FO0103)).' We are also working in partnership with the dairy sector to produce a "Milk Roadmap", which will help us collectively to identify and work to reduce some of the environmental impacts associated with the production and consumption of milk.
	The complete catalogue of DEFRA and MAFF-funded research on agriculture and the environment was recently summarised in the report 'DEFRA Research In Agriculture and Environmental Protection 1990-2005, Summary and Analysis (ES0127)' pages 122 to 149 of the report look specifically at research into greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture.

Natural England: Finance

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was allocated to Natural England for 2007-08.

Jonathan R Shaw: Natural England's grant in aid funding for this financial year (2007-08) is currently £180.47 million. Some further funding remains to be finalised as part of establishing "steady state" costs following the organisational changes. The figure is exclusive of the budgets for the agri-environment programmes administered by Natural England.

Nature Conservation: EC Action

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 17 May 2007,  Official Report, column 887W, on nature conservation: EC action, if he will list the information on compensatory measures supplied to the European Commission as required under Article 6(4) of the Habitats Directive.

Joan Ruddock: According to our records there have been several habitat compensation schemes secured as compensatory measures, under Article 6(4) of the EU Habitats Directive. This is to ensure that the overall coherence of the Natura 2000 network is protected. These are as follows.
	
		
			  Project  Year consent given  Type of consent  European site affected 
			 Harwich Haven to Felixstowe approach channel deepening by dredge 1998 The Coast Protection Act, 1949 and the Food and Environment Protection (FEPA) Act 1985 Stour and Orwell SPA Hamford Water SPA 
			 A249 Iwade to Queensborough road improvement scheme 2000 Highways Act 1980 Medway Estuary and Marshes SPA 
			 Humber Estuary flood management scheme 2001 Planning consent under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 Humber Flats, Marshes and Coast Phase 1 SPA 
			 Hullbridge tidal flood scheme 2003 Planning consent under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 Couch and Roach Estuaries SPA Essex Estuaries SPA 
			 Pett frontage tidal defence scheme 2004 Planning consent under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 Dungeness to Pett Levels SPA Dungeness SPA 
			 Morecambe coastal defence works 2005 Planning consent under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 Morecambe Bay SAC and SPA 
			 Road improvement to A830 trunk road from Mallaig to Lochailort 2007 Highways Act Glen Beasdale SAC 
		
	
	In addition, there were two consents granted subject to compensatory measures being secured as and when ongoing monitoring identified adverse effects on the European sites concerned. These are as follows:
	
		
			  Project  Year consent given  Type of consent  European site affected 
			 MOD Remote Ammunitioning Facility in the Tamar Estuary Plymouth 2000 Planning consent under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 Plymouth Sound and Estuaries SAC 
			 Water abstraction at North Pickenham, Norfolk 2002 Water Resources Act 1991 Norfolk Valley Fens SAC 
		
	
	A review of the relevant records reveals some uncertainty as to the schemes in respect of which information has been sent to the Commission formally in accordance with Article 6(4) of the Habitats Directive. We are therefore in the process of sending them information on all those listed.

Nature Reserves: Gloucestershire

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the monies for the recently opened Cranham National Nature Reserve in Gloucestershire will be paid.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 19 July 2007
	I understand that this money was released by Natural England to the landowner on 17 July.

Organic Farming: Yorkshire and Humberside

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was paid to farmers in Yorkshire and the Humber to convert to organic farming in each year since 2003; how many acres of land were farmed organically in Yorkshire and the Humber in 2004; and how many are now.

Jonathan R Shaw: Please see the following table showing the conversion aid payments made to farmers in Yorkshire and the Humber, under the Organic Farming Scheme, since 2003.
	There were 9,754 hectares of land farmed organically (organic and in conversion) in 2004 and according to the latest figures available, 11,319 hectares in January 2006.
	
		
			  Sum of total amount paid 
			  Calendar year paid  Holding county  Total 
			 2003 Humberside 61,518.68 
			  Lincolnshire 134,911.31 
			  North Yorkshire 228,684.59 
			  South Yorkshire 11,488.40 
			  West Yorkshire 10,412.94 
			 2003 total  447,015.92 
			
			 2004 Humberside 44,717.41 
			  Lincolnshire 167,733.19 
			  North Yorkshire 197,270.43 
			  South Yorkshire 13,191.30 
			  West Yorkshire 2,744.15 
			 2004 total  425,656.48 
			
			 2005 Humberside 33,747.08 
			  Lincolnshire 75,560.48 
			  North Yorkshire 84,882.99 
			  South Yorkshire 4,298.97 
			  West Yorkshire 3,203.95 
			 2005 total  201,693.47 
			
			 2006 Humberside 10,015.78 
			  Lincolnshire 21,991.59 
			  North Yorkshire 35,099.85 
			  South Yorkshire 585.20 
			  West Yorkshire 702.90 
			 2006 total  68,395.32 
			
			 2007 Humberside 2,751.15 
			  Lincolnshire 7,697.42 
			  North Yorkshire 12,744.60 
			  South Yorkshire 370.20 
			 2007 total  23,563.37 
			
			 Grand total  1,166,324.56

Potatoes: Supermarkets

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to encourage British supermarkets to buy British potatoes.

Jonathan R Shaw: The sourcing of food is a matter for the commercial judgement of retailers. It is against international trade rules for the Government to promote only British produce.

Potatoes: Weather

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how much of the potato crop has been destroyed by the recent adverse weather conditions; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what provisions are in place to provide compensation for potato farmers who have suffered losses as a consequence of the recent flooding; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what discussions he has had with the British Potato Council on levy relief for potato farmers who have lost crops during the recent flooding; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: It is estimated that less than 1 per cent. of the national potato crop has been destroyed by the recent adverse weather conditions.
	Compensation will not be available for farmers who have lost crops as a result of the recent flooding. Farmers who have taken out insurance for such damage should, of course, make a claim against their policy. We have great sympathy for those who are uninsured but there is no general right to compensation, since that would undermine the decision of those who did take out insurance and in the longer term undermine the competitive insurance market in this area that the UK currently benefits from.
	I have held no discussions with the British Potato Council about levy relief for potato farmers who have lost crops during the recent flooding. I understand however that the BPC look sympathetically at situations where individual growers are suffering genuine hardship.

Research: Bovine Tuberculosis

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will list the published papers resulting from research funded by his Department at Woodchester Park into aspects of  (a) badgers and  (b) bovine tuberculosis; in which journal each was published; and on what date.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA funds a range of research work with the Central Science Laboratory's (CSL) research team based at Woodchester Park. CSL have published 104 research papers following from their research into aspects of badgers and/or bovine tuberculosis. A full list of the published papers from 1979 to July 2007 has been placed in the Library of the House.

Slaughterhouses: Transport

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the average distance that  (a) pigs,  (b) sheep,  (c) cows and  (d) poultry travel between farm and abattoir.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 19 July 2007
	The average 'as the crow flies' distance from an agricultural holding to an abattoir in 2006 in Britain can be found in the following table:
	
		
			  Animal  Batched distance (Kilometres)  Individual distance (Kilometres) 
			 Pig 55.6 82.6 
			 Sheep 49.5 90.8 
		
	
	These figures have been derived from the Animal Movements Licensing System (AMIS) which records batch movements of sheep and pigs in England and Wales.
	In November 2002 and October 2003, the median estimated distance travelled by cattle from agricultural holdings to abattoirs was 55.42 km. This figure was derived from a Veterinary Laboratories Agency research project which analysed data from the Cattle Tracing System of Great Britain and represents distance travelled along the road network.
	Information on poultry is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

WALES

Departments: Air Conditioning

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much was spent by his Department and its agencies on the hire of mobile air conditioning units in each of the last five years.

Peter Hain: Nil.

Departments: Flint Bishop Solicitors

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies have made payments to Flint Bishop solicitors since 1997.

Peter Hain: There were no payments made to Flint Bishop solicitors by the Wales Office, and we do not have any agencies.

Departments: Manpower

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people are employed in his Department to work on ministerial correspondence.

Peter Hain: No staff are employed specifically to work on ministerial correspondence.
	Due to the nature of our role, most people in the Wales Office will have some part in dealing with ministerial correspondence during the year.

Departments: Official Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much was spent on hospitality by his Department in the financial year 2006-07.

Peter Hain: pursuant to the reply, 20 April 2007, Official Report, c. 866W
	The actual cost for hospitality in the financial year 2006-07 was £12,265. The initial figure provided included costs incurred in 2005.

Departments: Official Hospitality

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department spent on hospitality events in each of the last five years.

Peter Hain: Prior to April 2004 the Wales Office did not hold data in the format requested; it could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.
	Hospitality spend in the Wales Office 2004-05 to 2006-07 is as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2004-05 7,383 
			 2005-06 4,957 
			 2006-07 12,265

Departments: Visits Abroad

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many overseas visits were made by  (a) officials and  (b) Ministers within his responsibility, and at what cost, in each year since 1997.

Peter Hain: In respect of overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers, since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. Where non-scheduled aircraft are used this is shown in the list. Information for 2006-07 is currently being compiled and will be published before the summer recess. Copies of the lists are available in the Library for the reference of Members.
	All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Library for the reference of Members. All official travel is undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the Civil Service Management Code, a copy of which is also available in the Library for the reference of Members.
	Detailed information requested in respect to the number of overseas trips and cost taken by Officials can be provided only at a disproportionate cost, for the years 1999 to 2003-04 as records not held in this format
	The cost of official overseas travel since 2004 where officials accompanied Ministers was:
	2004-05: £18,238 for one overseas trip.
	2006-07: £8,284 for two overseas trips.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Price Fixing: Drugs

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Solicitor-General what the costs have been so far of the Serious Fraud Office's ongoing Operation Holbein investigation.

Vera Baird: The Serious Fraud Office is currently prosecuting nine individuals and five companies for conspiracy to defraud the Department of Health by fixing the prices and manipulating the supply of certain generic drugs, namely, penicillin-based antibiotics, warfarin and the branded drug, Marevan.
	The total expenditure for this case up to 31 March 2007, which is the end of the last financial year is as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  Expenditure (£) 
			 2000-01 26,122 
			 2001-02 417,536 
			 2002-03 2,778,565 
			 2003-04 3,384,928 
			 2004-05 3,950,023 
			 2005-06 5,448,558 
			 2006-07 4,341,732 
			 Total 20,347,464

Prosecutions

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Solicitor-General if she will ask the Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate to review the decision to prosecute in R  v. Payne and Others.

Vera Baird: The Royal Military Police, as is routine practice when defendants are acquitted following a prosecution, is currently reviewing the circumstances that led to the death of Mr. Baha Mousa and the ill-treatment of other detainees by the British Army. The review will assist the police to determine whether there should be a further investigation of the death and ill-treatment. During their review, the police, quite properly, are obtaining legal advice from the Army Prosecuting Authority (APA). It would be inappropriate to review the decision to prosecute Corporal Payne and Others at a time when the APA continues to advise the police on their review. This is in accordance with the CPS Inspectorate's standard procedure of not reviewing cases which are subject to an ongoing review.

Prosecutions

Peter Bone: To ask the Solicitor-General how many cases the Crown Prosecution Service has re-presented to court which had initially been dismissed due to a technical error in the last 12 months; and if she will make a statement.

Vera Baird: Where a case is tried summarily or on indictment and the charges are dismissed by the court, this has the effect of an acquittal. In these circumstances, the prosecution has no opportunity of re-presenting the charges to the court.
	Where charges are discharged at the magistrates court in the course of committal proceedings, then the prosecution may, as a matter of law, recommence the proceedings if appropriate.
	Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) records include no distinct record of the number of cases in which these circumstances arise. The information is held on individual case files, and could be retrieved by locating and examining every relevant file in each CPS office, which would only incur disproportionate cost (Code of Practice on Access to Information, part 2, clause 9).

SCOTLAND

Genetics: Databases

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many Scottish people of 18 years and under have their DNA details retained on a national database.

David Cairns: holding answer  28 June 2007
	As at end June 2007 there were a total of 15,517 profiles of persons aged 18 years and under on the Scottish DNA database. This represents just over 7 per cent. of the total number of profiles on the Scottish database. Any further questions on this matter should be addressed to the Home Office.

Ministerial Duties

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many meetings his predecessor had with  (a) voluntary groups and charities,  (b) businesses or business representatives,  (c) Scottish parliamentary officials,  (d) Members of the Scottish Parliament and  (e) political party leaders in his capacity as Secretary of State for Scotland.

Des Browne: My predecessor has had a range of discussions with voluntary groups and charities, businesses or business representatives, Scottish parliamentary officials, Members of the Scottish Parliament and political party leaders.

Ministerial Duties

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many meetings he has had with  (a) the First Minister of the Scottish Executive,  (b) leaders of the Conservative, Liberal Democrats, Labour and other parties in Scotland,  (c) members of the Scottish Parliament and  (d) public servants in Scotland; and how many meetings his predecessor had with each between 3rd May 2005 and 27th June 2007.

Des Browne: Since my appointment I have spoken with the First Minister on two occasions and met leaders of the Scottish Conservative, Liberal Democrats and Labour parties, members of the Scottish Parliament and public servants in Scotland on at least one occasion. My predecessor had numerous discussions with the First Minister, leaders of the Scottish Conservative, Liberal Democrats and Labour parties, members of the Scottish Parliament and public servants in Scotland between 3 May 2005 and 27 June 2007.

Ministerial Duties

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many meetings he has had with representative organisations since his appointment.

Des Browne: I have had no meetings with representative organisations since my appointment as Secretary of State for Scotland on 28 June 2007 but a range of meetings are planned during summer recess.

Ministerial Duties

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many times he has visited Scotland on official business since his appointment.

Des Browne: I have been in Scotland for five days on official business since my appointment as Secretary of State for Scotland.

Ministerial Duties

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many meetings he has had with business and business representatives in his capacity as Secretary of State since his appointment.

Des Browne: I have had no meetings with business and business representatives in my capacity of Secretary of State for Scotland since my appointment on 28 June 2007 but a range of meetings are planned during summer recess.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Departments: Air Conditioning

Christopher Huhne: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how much was spent by the House on the hire of mobile air conditioning units in each of the last five years.

Nick Harvey: Expenditure on the hire of mobile air conditioning units is only readily available for the last four years following a change in the accounting system in 2003. Expenditure was as follows:
	
		
			  Hire of mobile air conditioning units 
			   Expenditure (£) 
			 2003-04 68,470 
			 2004-05 98,638 
			 2005-06 65,943 
			 2006-07 8,140

Paint

Norman Baker: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what the  (a) brand and  (b) chemical composition is of the wall primers and paints (i) usually used for routine maintenance and (ii) being used in the course of the major summer works being undertaken in the House; and what their cost is per litre.

Nick Harvey: Dulux trade paint is used during the routine maintenance of the Palace. With regards to summer works projects we do not use a standard specification, just individual specifications on each project depending on requirements. The following is a breakdown of the main paints used by maintenance.
	
		
			  Dulux trade high gloss price: £4.87 per litre 
			  Composition 
			  EC number  CAS number  Hazardous ingredients  Percentage  Classification 
			 265-150-3 64742-48-9 Naphtha (petroleum), Hydrated Heavy 25-50 Xn R10-65-66 
			 265-150-3 64742-48-9 Naphtha (petroleum), Hydrated Heavy 1.0-25 Xn R65-66 
			 202-496-6 96-29-7 Ethyl Methyl Ketoxime <1.0 Xn R21-40-41-43 Carc.  Cat 3 
			 270-066-5 68409-81-4 Cobalt Carobxylate <1.0 R22-38-73-51/53 
		
	
	
		
			  Dulux trade vinyl silk price: £4.11 per litre 
			  Composition 
			  EC number  CAS number  Hazardous ingredients  Percentage  Classification 
			 202-859-9 100-51-6 Benzyl Alcohol 1.0-2.85 Xn R20/22 
			 — — Fatty Alcohol, Exthoxylated <1.0 N, Xn R22-51/53 
		
	
	
		
			  Dulux trade vinyl matt price: £3.35 per litre (white)—£3.85 per litre (magnolia) 
			  Composition 
			  EC number  CAS number  Hazardous ingredients  Percentage  Classification 
			  All except light base
			 265-150-3 64742-48-9 Naphtha (petroleum), Hydrotreated Heavy 1.0-2.5 Xn R10-65-66 
			  Light base 
			 — — Fatty Alcohol, Ethoxylated <1.0 N, Zn R22-51/53 
		
	
	
		
			  Dulux trade quick drying wood primer undercoat price: £9.89 per litre 
			  Composition 
			  EC number  CAS number  Hazardous ingredients  Percentage  Classification 
			 238-877-9 14807-96-6 Talc, Magnesium Silicate 2.5-10 — 
			 208-915-9 546-93-0 Magnesium carbonate 2.5-10 — 
			 2002-859-9 100-51-6 Benzyl Alcohol 1.0-2.5 Xn R20/22

Waste Disposal: Electronic Equipment

Tony Wright: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many electronic items were disposed of by the House in each year since 2001; how many were in working order when they were disposed of; and how many were  (a) recycled and  (b) donated to charitable organisations.

Nick Harvey: Information is held on the disposal of  (a) electronic desktop equipment and  (b) telephones, including mobile telephones.
	Members' IT equipment was provided centrally for the first time in 2001 and became due for disposal only from mid-2005. A total of 4,053 items of desktop equipment used by Members and staff of the House of Commons were disposed of between May 2005 and December 2006 as part of the periodic refresh programme. A further 812 items were disposed of between January and June 2007.
	The disposal of all these items was managed by a third-party contractor, responsible for secure data removal and onward recycling or sale as appropriate. The House received the residual value of sales, after the deduction of costs. Information from the supplier is presented to the House in order to meet its asset management responsibilities, but this does not provide detail on whether individual items were still in working order. The contractor does not make charitable donations.
	Telephone handsets are re-used within the House if possible and otherwise assigned for safe disposal. Since June 2004 redundant mobile telephones have been sent for recycling and the proceeds are donated to charity. Detailed records have been kept since May 2006 and these show that 221 items have been sent for recycling since that date.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Employment: Training

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  what incentives are in place to encourage employers to spend money on on-the-job training;
	(2)  what steps the Government are taking to improve on-the-job training.

David Lammy: Employers invest very substantial time and resources in the skills of their employees. In 2005 employers reported that they spent around £33 billion on training (including the wage costs of trainees). However, Lord Leitch's review of skills last year set out the major challenge ahead if the UK is truly to be a world leader in skills by 2020. The Government have recently published 'World Class Skills', setting out how we will implement the Leitch review in England. This says that achieving the change in culture that the Leitch ambitions demands, will require a major new investment of time, effort and money by employers and individuals. But it also says that Government have a responsibility to support them, and 'World Class Skills' sets out how we will meet that responsibility.
	Government have a range of support in place designed to motivate employers to invest in the skills of their employees. This includes Train to Gain, Apprenticeships and Foundation Degrees. Train to Gain is a major new service that will raise skills levels and the quality of training across England.
	Train to Gain offers a holistic service to employers. Independent and impartial skills brokers work with the employers to identify how skills might help them meet their business goals, including increased productivity. The Skills Brokers help the employer identify possible sources of public funding available, as well set out the employer investment, in both cash and in paid time off for employees to study for the relevant qualification. Training when appropriate is often held on the employers premises.
	In its first year of operation it has already engaged more than 40,000 employers with some 70 per cent. of those defined as hard to reach (i.e. not recognised as an Investor in People and no recorded investment in training).
	From 2008-09, employers will be able to access matched funding for level 3 programmes as part of the package they put together with skills brokers, and we will continue to develop the higher level skills offer in the light of the current Higher Level Skills Pathfinders. We will also support discrete Skills for Life programmes as well as those embedded within level 2 programmes for those who do not already have a level 2 qualification.

Industrial Training

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what measures are in place to identify skills shortages and train workers to address any shortages.

David Lammy: Sector Skills Councils are on target to complete Sector Skills Agreements by March 2008 in England. These agreements identify the priority skill needs of industry sectors and how training provision can become more responsive to employer and learner needs.
	There are a range of measures to support individuals to improve their skills including Apprenticeships, Train to Gain, National Skills Academies, Foundation Degrees and Union Learning. In addition, there are targeted programmes to address skill shortages. For example the Women and Work programme helps women enter occupations where they are under-represented and where specific skills shortages exist.

Science: Recruitment

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what  (a) recruitment procedures and  (b) arrangements to choose members of the selection boards are in place for the appointment of (i) the Director General of Research Councils and (ii) the Chief Scientific Adviser.

Ian Pearson: Civil service recruitment is managed by individual Departments in accordance with the rules and procedures laid down by the Office of the Civil Service Commissioners. This is to ensure that all recruitment is dealt with in a fair and open manner. Recruitment processes for senior appointments are clearly set out by the Commissioners and these processes are followed at all times.
	Selection boards for senior positions are chaired by a Civil Service Commissioner, and for the most senior posts such as the Government Chief Scientific Adviser the panel is always chaired by the First Civil Service Commissioner. The rest of the panel will comprise the relevant Permanent Secretary, an external representative such as someone from business or academia and usually a senior representative from another Government Department.

Skilled Workers: Foreigners

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills which 10 employment sectors employ the largest number of foreign skilled labourers in the UK; and from which 10 countries the greatest numbers of such workers come to the UK.

Bill Rammell: The following tables show estimates from the Annual Population Survey (APS), 2006, for the United Kingdom. The data relate to foreign workers employed at the time of the survey who arrived in the UK since the start of 2003, who hold some kind of qualification, and who were not full-time students at the time of the survey.
	
		
			  Employment by nationality 
			  Country  Number employed from foreign countries who have arrived in the UK since 2003 with some  qualifications, excluding full- time students* 
			 Poland 109,000 
			 India 58,000 
			 Former USSR etc. 30,000 
			 South Africa 30,000 
			 Former Czechoslovakia 23,000 
			 USA 20,000 
			 Australia 20,000 
			 France 18,000 
			 Philippines 13,000 
			 Germany 12,000 
			 Top 10 total 333,000 
			   
			 All other countries 182,000 
			   
			 Grand total 515,000 
		
	
	
		
			  Employment by sector 
			  Sector  Number employed from foreign countries who have arrived in the UK since 2003 with some qualifications, excluding full time students* 
			 Manufacturing 81,000 
			 Real estate, renting and business activities 76,000 
			 Health and social work 76,000 
			 Hotels and restaurants 56,000 
			 Wholesale, retail and motor trade 55,000 
			 Transport, storage and communication 35,000 
			 Construction 32,000 
			 Education 26,000 
			 Financial intermediation 25,000 
			 Other community, social and personal 22,000 
			 Top 10 total 484,000 
			   
			 All other sectors (inc. not identified) 31,000 
			   
			 Grand total 515,000 
			  Notes: The number of foreign workers presented here is likely to be understated, because the APS: 1. Excludes those who have not been a resident in the UK for 6 months 2. Excludes people in most other types of communal establishments (e.g. hotels, boarding houses, hostels, mobile home sites, etc.) 3. Is grossed to population estimates that only include migrants staying for 12 months or more 4. Is only grossed to population estimates consistent with those published in spring 2003, which are significantly lower than the latest population estimates.  Source: Annual Population Survey, 2006

Unemployment: Poole

Robert Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many 16 to 24 year olds in Poole are not in employment, education or training.

Beverley Hughes: I have been asked to reply.
	We estimate from data provided by the Connexions Service that 174 16 to 18-year-olds (i.e. young people aged 16, 17 or 18) were not in education, employment or training (NEET) in the Poole local authority area at the end of June 2007. Equivalent information is not available for 19 to 24-year-olds.
	These NEET measures are those used for setting and monitoring Local Authority NEET targets. The definition differs from that used to measure the national departmental PSA NEET target. The Connexions NEET measure does not cover the entire population, for example it excludes those on gap years and those in custody. The PSA measure is for academic rather than calendar age 16-18.

Unemployment: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what percentage of 16 to 19 year olds in York were in education, training or work in 2005-06.

Beverley Hughes: I have been asked to reply.
	We estimate from data provided by the Connexions Service that 91 per cent. of 16 to 18-year-olds (i.e. those aged 16, 17 or 18) were in education, employment or training (EET) in the City of York local authority area in 2005-06.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Arts: North East Region

Dari Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the Arts Council England North East's work in contributing to the renaissance of the North East region since 1997.

Margaret Hodge: Arts Council England North East has made a very significant contribution to the renaissance of the region since 1997. Iconic projects in which they have been involved include the Sage Gateshead, the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art and the Angel of the North. Arts Council England North East currently provides regular funding to over 80 organisations in the region including Dance City, a national dance agency in Newcastle upon Tyne and Arc, a community arts and education centre in the Tees Valley. Arts Council England North East also supports events such as Stockton International Riverside Festival.

Departments: Legislation

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what legislative provisions introduced by his Department's predecessors since 1997 have been repealed.

Margaret Hodge: My Department has been responsible for the introduction of 15 Acts since 1997 all of which remain in force.

Digital Broadcasting

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 27 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1428W, on digital broadcasting, whether the data released in accordance with the Digital Switchover (Disclosure of Information) Act 2007 will be available before the Whitehaven and Copeland switchover begins.

James Purnell: holding answer 11 July 2007
	 We expect the information covered by the Digital Switchover (Disclosure of Information) Act 2007 about people who may be eligible for assistance from the Help Scheme in Whitehaven and Copeland will be released by DWP later this week.

Digital Switchover Help Scheme

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what  (a) equipment and  (b) upgrades people are entitled to under the programme of assistance in relation to digital switchover.

James Purnell: In most cases, people eligible for the Digital Switchover Help Scheme will be entitled to receive a digital set-top box which meets the Scheme's Core Receiver Requirements. Where digital terrestrial signals are not available, they will be provided with the most cost-effective platform available in their area.
	They can also choose other types of digital terrestrial television equipment, such as an integrated digital TV or a personal video recorder (PVR), for an additional payment. Similarly, they can choose an alternative platform such as satellite, cable or TV via a telephone line, in which case the scheme will make a contribution towards their costs.

Museums and Galleries: Yorkshire and Humberside

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much the national museums in  (a) Yorkshire and the Humber and  (b) City of York received in Government grants in each year since 1997.

Margaret Hodge: Grant in aid for the national museums which fall within  (a) Yorkshire and Humber and  (b) the City of York is as follows.
	
		
			  £000 
			  Museum  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 National Coal Mining Museum of England(1) n/a n/a n/a 1,152 1,332 2,073 2,408 2,445 2,539(2) 2,528 2,659 
			 National Media Museum(3,4) 2,977 2,969 3,907 3,723 3,683 4,180 4,523 4,187 4,214 4,979 4,661 
			 National Railway Museum(3) 9,126 3,647 3,758 3,932 4,708 5,664 6,759 6,967 6,598 7,753 7,605 
			 Royal Armouries Leeds(5) 5,223 3,723 4,807 5,227 5,945 6,157 6,286 6,887 7,276 7,654 8,312 
			 Total 11,515 10,036 11,599 14,000 15,568 17,967 19,150 20,179 20,479 22,057 23,863 
			 (1 )The Government started providing grant funding to the National Coal Mining Museum England through the National Museum of Science and Industry in 2000-01. (2 )This figure differs from the one given in the answer of 20 October 2004,  Official Report, column 732W, as it includes an additional £113,000 in capital funding. (3) Formerly the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television. (4) The Government provide grant in aid to the National Museum of Science and Industry (NMSI) of which the National Media Museum and the National Railway Museum are branch museums. Funding to its branch museums is allocated by the NMSI. The figures shown here differ from those given in the answer of 20 October 2004,  Official Report, column 732W, as they include capital allocations and, from 2002-03 to 2006-07, also contain outturn figures for resource grant in aid as opposed to the estimates used in the previous answer. (5) This is the total allocation for the Royal Armouries, which includes its Leeds, Fort Nelson and the Tower of London branches. Royal Armouries in Leeds is the headquarters.

Museums and Galleries: Yorkshire and Humberside

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people visited each of the national museums in Yorkshire and the Humber in each year since 1997.

Margaret Hodge: Visit numbers for the national museums which fall within the Yorkshire and Humber region are as follows. Table 1 shows figures from 1997-98 to 2001-02. Table 2 covers 2002-03 to 2006-07.
	
		
			  Table 1 
			  Museum  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02 
			 National Coal Mining Museum for England(1) n/a n/a n/a 65,802 60,032 
			 National Media Museum(2) 298,901 83,613 962,899 969,822 823,309 
			 National Railway Museum 420,079 434,566 467,880 485,785 587,862 
			 Royal Armouries Leeds 349,000 296,000 173,500 185,710 280,867 
			 Total 1,067,980 814,179 1,604,279 1,707,119 1,752,070 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2 
			  Museum  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 National Coal Mining Museum for England 107,282 121,822 116,553 119,627 128,960 
			 National Media Museum 768,161 723,273 658,991 615,431 677,029 
			 National Railway Museum 767,299 740,217 885,406 744,472 903,188 
			 Royal Armouries Leeds 302,527 277,105 301,809 244,469 225,417 
			 Total 1,945,269 1,862,417 1,962,759 1,723,999 1,934,594 
			 (1) Visit figures for National Coal Mining Museum England for years prior to 2000-01 are not available. (2) The National Media Museum was partially closed in 1997-98 and 1998-99 for refurbishment.

National Lottery: Play

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what will happen to any unallocated monies from the Big Lottery Fund funding for play projects when the September deadline for applications passes.

Gerry Sutcliffe: In March 2007, The Big Lottery Fund wrote to the Chief Executives of all local authorities asking them to inform them if they were not planning to take up their allocation for the play programme. However, none of the local authorities have informed the Big Lottery Fund of not taking up their allocation.
	After the September 2007 application window, the Big Lottery Fund will ascertain any underspend and a decision on how to allocate this will be taken by the Fund's Board in due course.

National Lottery: Play

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the rules governing the application process for grants from the Big Lottery Fund for play projects.

Gerry Sutcliffe: No assessment has been made by DCMS on the effectiveness of the rules governing the application process for the play initiative. This is an internal operational matter for the Big Lottery Fund. The application process for this programme is consistent with the Fund's practices and procedures.
	The Big Lottery Fund have funded Play England, an England-wide support and development infrastructure, to provide support to local authorities to develop appropriate play strategies. In addition, the Big Lottery Fund has carried out regional workshops to help local authorities with the application process.

National Lottery: Play

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of the money available under the Big Lottery Fund children's play initiative has been  (a) committed and  (b) spent.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The figures in the table reflect the proportion of money which has been committed and spent under Big Lottery Fund's children's play initiative.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Programme name  Current award value (committed)  Total paid to date (spent) 
			 Play infrastructure 14,663,933 4,359,562 
			 Playful ideas 4,884,167 310,616 
			 Children's play 46,209,437 708,413 
			 Total 65,757,537 5,378,591 
		
	
	The total money available for the Children's Play initiative is £155 million. 42 per cent. of it has been committed and 3.5 per cent. has been spent.

Planning: Broadcasting Reception

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on the account taken in planning decisions of the effect of proposed developments on existing television signals.

James Purnell: I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues on a range of issues.
	Management of the spectrum, including matters of reception and interference, is for Ofcom. Ofcom recommends that planning authorities take potential disruption to TV reception into account when considering planning applications for large structures, but has no formal role in the planning process.

Royal Opera House: Directors

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in the appointment of the  (a) chairman and  (b) chief executive of the Royal Opera House what account was taken of the recommendation of the 2003 Higgs review of the effectiveness of non-executive directors that the role of chairman and chief executive should be separated; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: The roles of chair and chief executive of the Royal Opera House are separate. My Department plays no part in either of these appointments.

Tourism: Poole

Robert Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the  (a) purpose,  (b) date and  (c) location was of each tourism event attended by Ministers in his Department in the constituency of Poole in the last 12 months; which Ministers attended each event; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: We are not aware of any tourism events in Poole attended by Ministers from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in the last 12 months.

PRIME MINISTER

10 Downing Street: Charity Receptions

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the official and charity receptions held at 10 Downing street in the financial year 2006-07.

Gordon Brown: I have today published a list of official and charity receptions held at 10 Downing street for the financial year 2006-07.
	The total cost of official and charity receptions held by my predecessor at 10 Downing street and Chequers for the financial year 2006-07 was £87,000.
	
		
			  Official and charity receptions hosted by the then Prime Minister (right hon. Tony Blair) and Mrs. Blair 2006-07 
			  Date  Event  Number  Host 
			 28 March 2007 Charity—Westminster Cathedral Building Appeal 40 Mrs. Blair 
			 27 March 2007 Charity—Royal Court Theatre 40 Mrs. Blair 
			 20 March 2007 Charity—Wiener Library 40 Mrs. Blair 
			 13 March 2007 Charity—National Museums Liverpool 40 Mrs. Blair 
			 12 March 2007 Government—Britain's Younger Researchers in Science 150 Prime Minister and Mrs. Blair 
			 8 March 2007 Charity—Women In Sports Foundation 40 Mrs. Blair 
			 6 March 2007 Government—Press Gallery Essay Competition 40 Prime Minister 
			 1 March 2007 Charity—World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts 40 Mrs. Blair 
			 7 February 2007 Charity—Motor Neurone Disease 40 Mrs. Blair 
			 6 February 2007 Charity—Get Ahead Charitable Appeal 40 Mrs. Blair 
			 30 January 2007 Charity—Music for Autism 40 Mrs. Blair 
			 22 January 2007 Government—Commemoration of the Abolition of the Slave Trade 150 Prime Minister 
			 17 January 2007 Charity—Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust 40 Mrs. Blair 
			 16 January 2007 Charity—Rainbow Trust 40 Mrs. Blair 
			 15 January 2007 Government—Children's Centres Extended Schools 150 Prime Minister and Mrs. Blair 
			 11 January 2007 Charity—FSID 40 Mrs. Blair 
			 18 December 2006 Charity—Pulmonary Hypertension Association 40 Mrs. Blair 
			 13 December 2006 Government—Women's Own Children of Courage Award Winners 40 Prime Minister and Mrs. Blair 
			 12 December 2006 Government—Voluntary Sector 150 Prime Minister 
			 12 December 2006 Charity—Iain Rennie Hospice at Home 40 Mrs. Blair 
			 6 December 2006 Charity—Rights and Humanity 40 Mrs. Blair 
			 6 December 2006 Charity—Christmas Party—Kirsty Howard Appeal 40 Mrs. Blair 
			 5 December 2006 Charity—NSPCC 40 Mrs. Blair 
			 22 November 2006 Charity—Fence Club 40 Mrs. Blair 
			 22 November 2006 Government—Pledgebank 150 Prime Minister 
			 21 November 2006 Charity—Arrhythmia Alliance 40 Mrs. Blair 
			 20 November 2006 Government - House Magazine 30(th) Anniversary 150 Prime Minister and Mrs. Blair 
			 14 November 2006 Government Eve of Session 150 Prime Minister 
			 13 November 2006 Charity—Kennedy Trust Tea 40 Mrs. Blair 
			 7 November 2006 Charity reception—Sutton Trust 40 Mrs. Blair 
			 2 November 2006 Government—Daily Express Lifesaver Award Winners 30 Prime Minister 
			 1 November 2006 Government—News of the World Children's Champions 70 Mrs. Blair 
			 31 October 2006 Charity—Lord Mayor's Appeal 2006 40 Mrs. Blair 
			 30 October 2006 Government—Safeguarding Children 150 Prime Minister and Mrs. Blair 
			 24 October 2006 Government—Commemorate the life of Hadi Saleh 40 Prime Minister 
			 17 October 2006 Charity—Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust 40 Mrs. Blair 
			 10 October 2006 Charity—YMCA England 40 Mrs. Blair 
			 3 October 2006 Charity—Patient Voices Group—Beating Bowel Cancer 40 Mrs. Blair 
			 19 September 2006 Charity—NOFAS-UK 40 Mrs. Blair 
			 12 September 2006 Charity—Student Partnership Worldwide 40 Mrs. Blair 
			 11 September 2006 Government—Domestic Violence 150 Prime Minister and Mrs. Blair 
			 5 September 2006 Charity—Eastbourne Art Gallery 40 Mrs. Blair 
			 18 July 2006 Government—Government Motor Show 100 Prime Minister and Mrs. Blair 
			 13 July 2006 Government - Police Bravery Award Winners 150 Prime Minister 
			 12 July 2006 Charity—Citizenship Foundation 45 Mrs. Blair 
			 11 July 2006 Charity—War Child 40 Mrs. Blair 
			 3 July 2006 Government—Nurses 150 Prime Minister 
			 27 June 2006 Charity—Weston Spirit 40 Mrs. Blair 
			 27 June 2006 Government—War Vets 150 Prime Minister and Mrs. Blair 
			 17 June 2006 Government—Trooping of the Colour 150 Prime Minister and Mrs. Blair 
			 13 June 2006 Government—Public Services 450 Prime Minister 
			 13 June 2006 Charity—LIPA 40 Mrs. Blair 
			 24 May 2006 Government—Soccer Aid 45 Prime Minister 
			 23 May 2006 Charity—Snowdon Awards Scheme 25(th )Anniversary 40 Mrs. Blair 
			 18 May 2006 Charity - Nightingale 40 Mrs. Blair 
			 16 May 2006 Charity—Working Families 40 Mrs. Blair 
			 10 May 2006 18:30 Government—Head Teachers 150 Prime Minister and Mrs. Blair 
			 9 May 2006 Charity—Anti-Slavery International 40 Mrs. Blair 
			 25 April 2006 Charity—Lords House Farm 40 Mrs. Blair 
			 24 April 2006 Government—Further Education 150 Prime Minister 
			 18 April 2006 Charity—Industry and Parliament Trust 40 Mrs. Blair 
			 4 April 2006 Charity—Howard League for Penal Reform 40 Mrs. Blair

Chequers

Gordon Banks: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the guests entertained at public expense at Chequers since 1 April 2006.

Gordon Brown: I have today published a list of attendees at Chequers dinners hosted by my predecessor from 1 April 2006-27 June 2007.
	 Chequers dinners attendees 1 April 2006-27 June 2007
	Mr. David Aaronovitch
	Mr. David Adjye
	Mr. Charles Allen
	The Hon. Stephen Benn
	The Rt. Reverend the Lord Bishop of Oxford
	The right hon. David Blunkett MP
	Ms Ginny Buckley
	Mrs. Sarah Byrne
	Mr. Liam Byrne MP
	Sir Ian Carruthers
	Lady Joan Carruthers
	Mr. Michael Cashman MEP
	Mr. Adrian Chiles
	Ms Charlotte Church
	Ms Nita Clarke
	Mr. Paul Costello
	Mrs. Anne Costello
	Mr. Paul Cottingham
	Ms Tess Daly
	Mr. Andy Duncan
	Mrs. Jocelyn Duncan
	Mrs. Deirdre Dyson
	Mr. James Dyson CBE
	Mr. Chris Evans
	Mr. Michael Fisher
	Judge David Fletcher
	Mrs. Janet Fletcher
	Mr. Brendan Foster
	Mrs. Sue Foster
	Mr. Martin Frizzell
	Ms Jane Garvey
	Mr. Peter Gershon
	Mrs. Eileen Gershon
	Lord Anthony Giddens
	Lady Alena Giddens
	Mr. John Hannett
	Mrs. Linda Hannett
	Dr. Josephine Harries
	Mr. Gavin Henson
	Mr. Andy Hornby
	Mrs. Cathy Hornby
	Mr. Nick Jones
	Mr. Vernon Kay
	Ms Lorraine Kelly
	Mr. Justin King
	Mrs. Claire King
	Ms Julie Lewis
	Ms Liz Lloyd
	Mr. Richard Madeley
	Ms Chloe Madeley
	Mr. Steve McClaren
	Mrs. Kathryn McClaren
	Mr. Pat McFadden MP
	Ms Claire Murphy
	Mr. Jim Murphy MP
	Mr. Peter Neyroud
	Mrs. Sarah Neyroud
	Mr. Eric Nicoli
	Mrs. Lucy Nicoli
	Mrs. Indra Nooyi
	Mr. Raj Nooyi
	Ms Fiona Phillips
	Ms Sarah Powell
	Mrs. Pauline Prescott
	The right hon. John Prescott MP
	Ms Sharon Reed
	Lord Sainsbury
	Lady Susie Sainsbury
	Mr. William Sargent
	Ms June Sarpong
	The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Dr. John Sentamu
	Mrs. Margaret Sentamu
	The right hon. Jacqui Smith MP
	Mr. Steve Smith
	Mr. Richard Stephens
	Mr. Richard Timney
	Ms Marianna Trian
	Mr. Paul Walsh
	Mr. Benjamin Wegg Prosser
	Mrs. Yulia Wegg Prosser
	Colonel Richard Williams
	Mrs. Philippa Williams
	The Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams
	Mrs. Jane Williams
	Ms Kirsty Young

Ministerial Gifts

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Prime Minister if he will provide a list of ministerial gifts in the financial year 2006-07.

Gordon Brown: I am today publishing lists of gifts received and given by Ministers valued at more than £140. The list of gifts received by Ministers covers the period 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007. The list of gifts given by Ministers, which is being published for the first time, covers the period 1 June 2001 to 31 March 2007. Copies of the list have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Ministerial Travel

Mike Hall: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers in the financial year 2006-07

Gordon Brown: I am today publishing a list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during the period 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 which has been placed in the Libraries of the House. The list provides details of the date, destination and purpose of all such visits and the cost of Ministers' travel and accommodation where appropriate.
	Total expenditure on ministerial overseas visits for the last three financial years is set out in the following table:
	
		
			   Expenditure (£ million) 
			 2004-05 5.1 
			 2005-06 6.1 
			 2006-07 6.95

UK Visits

Martin Linton: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the UK visits made by his predecessor in the financial years 2006-07.

Gordon Brown: I have today published a list of UK visits made by my predecessor during the financial year 2006-07.
	
		
			  UK visits made by the Prime Minister 1 April 2006-31 March 2007 
			  Date  Official visit to 
			 3 April 2006 London 
			 4 April London 
			 5 April London 
			 6 April Belfast 
			 19 April London 
			 20 April London 
			  Manchester 
			 25 April London 
			 27 April London 
			 2 May Blackpool 
			 9 May London 
			 18 May London 
			 25 May London 
			 7 June Frimley, Surrey 
			 13 June London 
			 22 June London 
			  Bristol 
			  Bath 
			 27 June London 
			 30 June Stockton on Tees 
			  Middlesbrough 
			 11 July Whitstable, Kent 
			 20 July Farnborough 
			 21 July Spennymoor 
			  Darlington 
			 24-25 July Nottingham 
			 1-2 September Edinburgh 
			 7 September London 
			 4 September York 
			 12 September Brighton 
			 14 September Birmingham 
			 23 September Liverpool 
			  Prescot 
			  Manchester 
			 5 October London 
			 10 October London 
			 18 October London 
			 23 October London 
			 26 October London 
			 26-27 October Newcastle 
			  Gateshead 
			  Stockton on Tees 
			 31 October London 
			 2-3 November Didcot 
			  Oxford 
			 16-17 November Sellafield 
			  Durham 
			 27 November London 
			 30 November Birmingham 
			 5 December London 
			 6 December London 
			 21 December Darlington 
			 5 January 2007 London 
			 11-12 January Yeovil 
			  Dartmouth 
			  Lympstone 
			  North Bovey 
			  Thorverton 
			 22 January Brighton 
			 23 January London 
			 24 January London 
			 1-2 February Telford 
			  West Bromwich 
			  West Cornforth, Co. Durham 
			  Washington 
			  Gateshead 
			 8 February London 
			 15-16 February Glasgow 
			 19 February London 
			 22-23 February Manchester 
			  Liverpool 
			 2 March Uxbridge 
			 5 March London 
			 6 March London 
			 15 March London 
			 15-16 March Sheffield 
			  Leeds 
			  Aberdeen 
			 29-30 March Stockport 
			  Oldham 
			  Manchester

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Boris Berezovsky

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received from posts in the Russian Federation on threats to the life and security of Mr. Boris Berezovsky while resident in the UK.

Jim Murphy: It is Government practice not to comment on cases of individuals' safety, nor indeed on intelligence matters.

Burma: Arms Trade

Roger Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the reports that the Indian Government has confirmed that negotiations are ongoing to supply military advance light helicopters to Burma/Myanmar and that such helicopters would contain significant components from EU countries, including the UK; and what steps the Government are taking to ensure that the EU arms embargo on Burma is enforced and UK components are not transferred from India to Burma.
	(2)  what discussions the Government have had with India on its proposed sale of military advanced light helicopters to Burma/Myanmar; and what steps the Government have taken to ensure that UK military equipment, including components, is not transferred to Myanmar as part of increasing defence co-operation between the two countries.

Meg Munn: The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has confirmed that they are not negotiating the sale of advanced light helicopters with the Burmese Government, as alleged in a report published by Amnesty International and Saferworld.
	The Government consider all applications for the export of military equipment on a case by case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. This includes an assessment of whether there is a risk that the goods in question will be diverted within the buyer country or re-exported under undesirable conditions. We would lobby India, or any other exporting country, in the event of any decision to re-export such goods to Burma.

Gaza: Christian Communities

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the status and safety of Christian communities in Gaza following the takeover of Gaza by Hamas; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: We remain concerned about the welfare, safety and security of all Gaza's residents, including its small Christian community, and our policies will continue to reflect this concern.

Middle East: Peace Negotiations

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of President Bush's proposal for an international conference on the Middle East peace process; what discussions he has with his US counterpart on the proposal; when he expects the conference to take place; which  (a) states and  (b) non-state parties he expects to be represented at the conference; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: I welcome any forward move on the Middle East peace process. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials are in close contact with their US counterparts regarding the proposed conference. Details of the conference are still being discussed.

Middle East: Peace Negotiations

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what  (a) role and  (b) functions have been given to the quartet's special envoy Mr. Blair; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: On 27 June, the quartet (EU, US, UN and Russia) principals announced the right hon. Tony Blair's appointment as quartet representative. As set out in the quartet statement of 27 June, the former Prime Minister's mandate is to: mobilise international assistance to the Palestinians, working closely with donors and existing co-ordination bodies; help to identify, and secure appropriate international support in addressing, the institutional governance needs of the Palestinian state, focusing as a matter of urgency on the rule of law; develop plans to promote Palestinian economic development, including private-sector partnerships, building on previously agreed frameworks, especially concerning access and movement; and liaise with other countries as appropriate in support of the agreed quartet objectives.
	A copy of the quartet statement will be placed in the Library of the House.

Middle East: Peace Negotiations

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what financial and logistical resources the European Union is providing to the quartet's special envoy Mr. Blair; what  (a) salary,  (b) expenses provision and  (c) support staff will be available to him; what share of the costs the United Kingdom is contributing; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: There has been no announcement as yet from the right hon. Tony Blair's team regarding the financial or logistical resources that will be provided to him, or Mr. Blair's salary or expenses provision. Four officials have been seconded to Mr. Blair from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development and these Government Departments will continue to pay their salaries. At present, the UK has not offered to cover any further costs.

Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what suggestions were put forward by  (a) the US and  (b) France at the 2007 Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Preparatory Committee Meeting on the issue of withdrawal from the NPT; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The United States and EU both tabled proposals to raise the cost for States Parties seeking to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) at the 2007 Preparatory Committee. France did not submit a national proposal, but assisted in drafting the EU paper.
	The common elements of these proposals include referral of withdrawal notifications to the United Nations Security Council; steps to hold the withdrawing Party accountable for NPT violations prior to withdrawal; and continuing International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards for nuclear materials and equipment acquired or developed whilst an NPT signatory.
	The full proposals are available at: http://www.un.org/NPT2010/documents.html. (NPT/CONF. 2010/PC.1/WP.22-US proposal-and NPT/CONF.2010/PC.I/WP.25* - EU proposal).

Uganda: Politics and Government

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 4 July 2007,  Official Report, column 1029W, on Uganda: politics and government, what recent assessment he has made of the  (a) strength,  (b) leadership and  (c) political objectives of the Ugandan People's Redemption Army; how long it has been active; what reports he has received that it has attacked villages, towns and commercial or civilian infrastructures in Uganda; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: There are contradictory reports about the People's Redemption Army (PRA) and its strength, leadership, activities and political objectives. The Government have not made a recent assessment of these varying reports. However we have seen no evidence that the PRA represents any significant threat to Uganda's stability.
	We continue to press the Government of Uganda that there should be a free, fair and transparent legal process for those alleged to be members of the PRA currently in custody and/or on trial and that this should be completed as quickly as possible.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Democratic Republic of Congo: Education

Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of the £50 million funding for education in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) announced on 5 April will go to  (a) World Bank,  (b) the DRC Government and  (c) local non-governmental organisations and church bodies; and what the estimated time frame is for the release of the funding.

Gareth Thomas: We will provide funding for primary education in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) over the next five years by co-financing and supporting the fee reduction components of the World Bank's Education Sector Support Project. Our support will consist of two phases. The first preparatory phase has been allocated £2.5 million, and implementation is now under way, while the second phase is expected to comprise £50 million. We hope to commence phase two funding in 2008.
	The exact mechanisms for channelling phase two funding are still to be finalised. We will not provide any funds directly to the Government of DRC in this phase, although some funds may be provided indirectly via the World Bank.
	Some funding is likely to go to local non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and possibly church bodies, to establish an accountability mechanism for civil society monitoring of primary education services, although the mechanism for this funding is not yet agreed.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Education

Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of when he expects conditions in the Democratic Republic of Congo to permit the release of the £50 million funding for education announced on 5 April.

Gareth Thomas: DFID plans to co-finance the fee reduction component of the World Bank's Education Sector Support Project. Our support consists of two phases over five years. £2.5 million was recently approved for the first phase of activities, and implementation is now under way. The first phase includes a comprehensive census of teachers and mapping of schools, support for reforms to the payment systems for teachers and schools and establishing an accountability mechanism to ensure external civil society monitoring of funding to primary schools.
	Once these are satisfactorily completed, we will be able to implement phase two, which will fund reduction of some of the fees parents must pay and which exclude poor children from school. While we hope to commence funding in 2008, this depends on the pace of reforms and it is not possible to give a definite timeline at this stage.

Developing Countries: Tourism

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of ecotourism's potential to boost the economies of developing countries.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer of 12 July 2007
	 DFID has funded work, including aspects of ecotourism, by the Pro-Poor Tourism (PPT) Partnership which focuses on tourism's potential to help reduce poverty.
	The work we funded showed that pro-poor tourism can reduce poverty when tour operators forge partnerships with local business and communities. However, ecotourism has not yet reached its potential for contributing to poverty reduction. Ecotourism destinations need to be developed in the south, and the capacity of southern tourism operators needs to be strengthened. Ecotourism can better contribute to poverty reduction by bringing tourism to local communities, as in experiential holidays, which include opportunities to interact with the community; it should also help protect the local environment which often attracts visitors in the first place.

Governance and Transparency Fund

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  how many bids have been received for the Governance and Transparency Fund;
	(2)  how many UK based organisations have bid for funding from the Governance and Transparency Fund;
	(3)  how many EU based organisations bid for funding from the Governance and Transparency Fund, excluding the UK;
	(4)  how many non-EU organisations bid for money from the Governance and Transparency Fund.

Shahid Malik: There is a two-stage application process to the Governance and Transparency Fund (GTF). The first stage is the submission of Concept Notes by interested organisations. These are vetted for compliance with GTF eligibility criteria. Organisations submitting eligible Concept Notes will then be invited to submit full proposals.
	We have received 423 such Concept Notes and these are currently being assessed.
	Of the 423 Concept Notes received, 132 state that the lead applicant is an organisation based in the UK, 32 that the lead applicant is based in the EU but not in the UK, and 259 state that the lead applicant is based outside of the EU.

Governance and Transparency Fund

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what the total value is of the combined bids for the Governance and Transparency Fund;
	(2)  what the total monetary value is of bids for the Governance and Transparency Fund made by UK-based organisations;
	(3)  what the total monetary value is of bids for the Governance and Transparency Fund made by EU-based organisations excluding the UK;
	(4)  what the total monetary value is of bids for the Governance and Transparency Fund made by non-EU organisations.

Shahid Malik: At this Concept Note stage we have only asked for a brief outline of proposed activities and an estimated budget, and are assessing applicants against eligibility. Of the Concept Notes received, none are at full proposal stage. We expect to reject around one in four Concept Notes on eligibility grounds.
	The 423 Concept Notes submitted to the Governance and Transparency Fund (GTF) outline potential projects with an estimated total value of £1.144 billion.
	The 132 Concept Notes submitted by UK-based organisations outline potential projects with an estimated total value of £399 million.
	The 32 Concept Notes submitted by EU-based organisations (excluding the UK) outline potential projects with an estimated total value of £100 million.
	The 259 Concept Notes submitted by non-EU organisations outline potential projects with an estimated total value of £645 million.

HIV Infection: Drugs

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the use of anti-retroviral drugs in programmes  (a) run and  (b) supported by his Department for the treatment of HIV/AIDS in (i) Rwanda and (ii) other developing countries.

Shahid Malik: holding answer 23 July 2007
	In Rwanda, DFID provides support worth £4,250,000 through non-governmental organisations towards anti-retroviral therapy and community based care to 2,500 HIV positive women genocide survivors and their families. The number of people on treatment in Rwanda has risen from 4,000 in 2003 to 37,200 in March 2007 with national incidence of the spread of HIV/AIDS stabilising at around 3 per cent.
	The UK Government also fund and support the provision of anti-retroviral services through contributions to multilateral organisations. DFID has pledged £359 million to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria over the 2002-08 period. Evidence shows that anti-retroviral treatments are effective, with an estimated 250,000 to 350,000 premature deaths averted in the developing world in 2005 alone. Overall, in low- and middle-income countries the trends are upwards, from 400,000 in 2003 to more than 2 million people on treatment today.

HIV Infection: Medical Treatments

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 14 June 2007,  Official Report, column 1248W, on HIV infection: medical treatments, what his policy is on the public ownership of patents resulting from publicly-funded research into anti-retroviral medication for use in developing countries.

Shahid Malik: It is the UK Government's policy that patents are owned by the body carrying out the research. It is DFID's policy that any new anti-retroviral treatments developed by publicly-funded research should be made available at the lowest possible price (eg cost price) for public markets in developing countries. The organisations involved in developing the new treatments have negotiated intellectual property agreements individually with their various private sector partners. The organisations developing the new treatments also use cost per treatment as one of the criteria to determine which products to take forward in their portfolios.

Lesotho: Debts

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the debt status of Lesotho.

Gareth Thomas: DFID has not made its own assessment as, like other agencies, it relies on the assessments made by the IMF and World Bank, which administer the HIPC initiative.
	In June 2005, the International Monetary Fund conducted a Debt Sustainability Analysis and concluded that Lesotho's debt levels were sustainable. This means that Lesotho does not classify as a heavily indebted poor country (HIPC). However, the UK is committed to ensuring debt relief for all IDA-only low income countries that can use the resources effectively for poverty reduction. Lesotho would qualify for DFID's Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative once its public expenditure management systems are effective enough to ensure funds can be spent on the intended purposes of poverty reduction.

Pakistan: Overseas Aid

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will seek discussions with the Pakistani authorities on the level of UK aid to Pakistan following statements by Pakistani Ministers on the Queen's Birthday Honours.

Shahid Malik: The UK has made a long-term commitment to reducing poverty in Pakistan through a 10-Year Development Partnership Arrangement (DPA) signed in November 2006. The DPA is based on a shared commitment to pursuing poverty reduction objectives, respecting human rights obligations entered into, and improving financial management and accountability in Pakistan.
	The DPA is the framework against which we provide assistance to Pakistan, and against which we hold all discussions with Pakistani Ministers about our aid programme.

Sudan: Asylum

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimates his Department has made of the numbers of Darfuri refugees who have left Sudan for each neighbouring country; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The UNHCR is the agency responsible for registering refugees. DFID, like all other agencies, relies on UNHCR estimates for refugee numbers and locations. The latest figures they have provided to DFID indicate that there are 235,000 Darfuri refugees in Chad and some 10,000 refugees from Chad, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo in the Central African Republic. There are not substantial numbers of registered refugees from Darfur in other neighbouring countries.

Tanzania: Overseas Aid

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what information he has received on the shortfall in the Bank of Tanzania's external payment arrears account for 2005-06; how much Tanzania received in aid from  (a) the World Bank and  (b) the IMF in each of the last five years; how much Tanzania has received in unearmarked contributions from the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 19 July 2007
	 The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has been notified of potential irregularities with the Bank of Tanzania external payment arrears account for 2005-06. As a result the Government of Tanzania (GoT) agreed to undertake an audit of this account. We are in close contact with the IMF and GoT on this matter.
	
		
			  Aid flows from IMF, World Bank and DFID budget support (unearmarked) 
			   IMF (US$ million)  WB (US$ million)  DFID (£ million) 
			 2002-03 27.38 250 45 
			 2003-04 8.6 450 60 
			 2004-05 8.6 356 65 
			 2005-06 4.3 + (1)340 751 85 
			 2006-07 4.3 550 90 
			 Total 393.18 2,357 345 
			 (1) One off debt relief  Source: IMF statistics (SDR conversion 0.65$:1SDR) and WB CAS disbursement statistics 
		
	
	In July 2007, DFID disbursed a further £105 million budget support for 2007-08.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Departments: Air Conditioning

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Leader of the House how much was spent by her Office on the hire of mobile air conditioning units in each of the last five years.

Helen Goodman: Following the recent machinery of Government changes which saw the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons transfer from the Privy Council Office to the Cabinet Office, we are currently unable to provide a substantive answer to this question.

Departments: Recruitment

Theresa May: To ask the Leader of the House how much her Office paid in fees to recruitment agencies for  (a) temporary and  (b) permanent staff in each year since 1997.

Helen Goodman: The information is set out in the following table with regard to temporary staff. Data for financial years 1997-98 to 2000-01 is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			 Financial year Cost (£) 
			 2001-02 32,037.49 
			 2002-03 0 
			 2003-04 9,717.84 
			 2004-05 2,665.51 
			 2005-06 339.54 
			 2006-07 (year to date) 0 
		
	
	The Office has not used recruitment agencies for permanent staff.

Draft Legislative Programme

Dai Davies: To ask the Leader of the House pursuant to the Prime Minister's statement of 11 July 2007,  Official Report, columns 1449-51, on the draft legislative programme, which of the planned Bills will apply  (a) fully and  (b) in part in (i) Wales, (ii) Scotland and (iii) Northern Ireland; and, in such cases, if she will set out the form in which the legislation will apply in each respective area of the United Kingdom.

Helen Goodman: In "The Governance of Britain—The Government's Draft Legislative Programme" (CM 7175) the Government set out how the proposed Bills will apply to the Devolved Administrations of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland on the basis of current plans. In many cases discussions will continue to take place with the Devolved Administrations and the Government are mindful to ensure that it honours the commitments to consult and communicate with them on such matters, made in the "Memorandum of Understanding with the Devolved Administrations".
	Table summarising the details published in the Draft Legislative Programme:
	
		
			  Bill  The Bill will apply to 
			 Children in Care Bill England and Wales. 
			   
			 Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill England and Wales; The permission of the Northern Ireland Assembly is required for a provision in Schedule 6 of the Bill. This provides for the exchange of information between the UK and Northern Ireland statutory child maintenance services. 
			   
			 Climate Change Bill United Kingdom. 
			   
			 Constitutional Reform Bill United Kingdom. 
			   
			 Coroners Bill England and Wales; apart from amendments to the Treasure Act 1996 which will extend to Northern Ireland. 
			   
			 Counter Terrorism Bill United Kingdom. 
			   
			 Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill England and Wales; certain reserved and expected provisions also extend to Scotland and Northern Ireland. 
			   
			 Crossrail Bill England. 
			   
			 Education and Skills Bill England and Wales. 
			   
			 Employment Simplification Bill Great Britain. 
			   
			 Energy Bill A mixture of devolved and reserved matters so the UK Government will work with the Devolved Administrations. 
			 European Communities (Finance) Bill United Kingdom. 
			   
			 Health and Social Care Bill United Kingdom; this is a portmanteau bill so the extent of the measures will be different for each policy area. 
			   
			 Housing and Regeneration Bill England and Wales. 
			   
			 Human Tissue and Embryo Bill United Kingdom for assisted reproduction and embryo research. England, Wales and Northern Ireland for other human tissue and cell research. 
			   
			 Local Transport Bill England and Wales; certain reserved provisions also extend to Scotland. 
			   
			 National Insurance Contributions Bill United Kingdom. 
			   
			 Pensions Bill Great Britain. 
			   
			 Planning Reform Bill A mixture of UK, England and Wales and England only. 
			   
			 Planning Gain Supplement Bill United Kingdom; PGS revenues generated in the Devolved Administrations would be returned to the country in which they were generated. The use of PGS funds in the Devolved Administrations would be determined by the relevant administration. 
			   
			 Regulatory Enforcement and Sanctions Bill LBRO provisions would apply to England and Wales only; The Macrory Provisions extend to England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland but are of restricted application in respect of devolved matters. 
			   
			 Sale of Student Loans Bill England. 
			   
			 Unclaimed Assets Bill United Kingdom--there are a mixture of reserved and devolved functions.

Draft Legislative Programme

Graham Allen: To ask the Leader of the House if she will make it her usual policy to subject Bills to pre-legislative scrutiny.

Helen Goodman: The Government endeavour to subject Bills to pre-legislative scrutiny, where timing and other constraints allow. As indicated in the Government's recently published Draft Legislative Programme (CM7175), 58 draft Bills have been published since 1997.
	The publication of the Draft Legislative Programme is the first time public consultation has been sought before the Queen's Speech and is a further element in the exposure of legislative plans to scrutiny ahead of introduction. The Government believe this consultation will lead to better engagement between MPs, peers and the people.

UK Youth Parliament

David Drew: To ask the Leader of the House whether a Minister intends to make a visit to the forthcoming session of the UK Youth Parliament; and if she will make a statement on progress on the proposal announced by the Prime Minister for a future session to be held in the House.

Helen Goodman: I understand that the Under-Secretary of State for Justice, my hon. Friend the Member for Lewisham, East (Bridget Prentice) addressed the session of the United Kingdom Youth Parliament in Glasgow which has just been completed.
	Following the statement by the Prime Minister on 3 July, my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House will be raising with the Modernisation Select Committee the question of whether the Youth Parliament could be invited to the Chamber of this House once a year on a non-sitting day.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Jobcentre Plus: Argyll and Bute

Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many full-time equivalent staff there were in post in each Jobcentre Plus office in Argyll and Bute at the end of each of the last five years.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 24 July 2007
	The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 25 July 2007 :
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many full-time equivalent staff there were in post in each Jobcentre Plus office in Argyle and Bute at the end of the each of the last five years. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The following table shows the figures for each of the last four operational years in each of the offices in the Argyle and Bute area and an overall total. Unfortunately, owing to changes in the operational management of the offices and in the recording methodologies I am unable to provide the information for the year ended 2003.
	
		
			  Full- time equivalent staff numbers in Argyle and Bute offices by year 
			   As at 31 March each year 
			  Office  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Campbeltown 24.3 20.0 14.6 11.0 
			 Dunoon 15.4 13.3 12.5 9.5 
			 Helensburgh 14.8 10.8 10.8 9.8 
			 Oban 30.7 26.6 18.4 17.9 
			 Rothesay 12.4 9.4 9.4 7.4 
			 Total 97.6 80.1 65.7 55.6

Jobcentre Plus: Scotland

Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the headcount target figure is for the number of employees in Jobcentre Plus in Scotland in 2007-08; and how many staff are in post, broken down by  (a) district and  (b) office.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 16 July 2007
	 The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking about the headcount target figure for the number of employees in Jobcentre Plus in Scotland in 2007-08; and how many staff are in post, broken down by district and office. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The planned level of staffing for Jobcentre Plus in Scotland at March 2008 is 7,652 full-time equivalents.
	I attach two tables which show the staff in post and the full-time equivalent figures at the end of March 2007, for our Operational staff and our National Directorates, broken down by district and office. Copies of these tables have been placed in the Library.
	I hope this is helpful.

Jobcentre Plus: Scotland

Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his target is for the number of full-time equivalent staff in each Jobcentre Plus office in Scotland at the end of 2007-08.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 23 July 2007
	The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 25 July 2007 :
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the headcount target for the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) staff in each Jobcentre Plus office in Scotland at the end of 2007-08.This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	I attach a table which shows, for Jobcentre Plus Operations, the planned FTE staff in each office in March 2008, and for national Directorates, the planned FTE staff in each District in March 2008. Copies of this table have been placed in the Library.
	The difference between the target figure provided in response to your earlier question asking about the headcount figure for the number of Jobcentre Plus employees in Scotland in 2007-08 (7,652 FTE), and the total of the targets by site and district in the attached table (7,555 FTE), is because an additional allocation of FTE staff has been made for Scotland as a whole and has not yet been disaggregated to individual sites. This disaggregation will take place as part of a current revision to workforce plans.
	I hope this is helpful.

Lung Diseases

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were diagnosed with pleural plaques in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) England in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: I have been asked to reply.
	Information on the number of people diagnosed with pleural plaques is not collected.

Pensioners: Disability Living Allowance

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to make arrangements to ensure that eligibility arrangements for  (a) disability living allowance and  (b) vehicle excise duty are amended in line with the pension eligibility change when pensionable age is raised to 67.

Anne McGuire: The age limit for claiming disability living allowance will be increased incrementally with effect from 6 April 2024 in line with the age increases to state pension age. The measure is being taken forward as part of the Pensions Bill currently passing through Parliament.
	Vehicle excise duty exemption policy is a matter for my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Pensioners: Income

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average income of the  (a) top and  (b) bottom quartile of pensioners was in each year since 1997.

Mike O'Brien: The information that is shown in the following tables is based on sampling and estimates. Movement in data between single years may be due to sampling error but over a period trends are useful.
	
		
			  Average gross income of pensioner couples by position in the income distribution: 2005-06 prices 
			  £ per week 
			   Bottom quartile  Top quartile 
			 1997-98 166 804 
			 1998-99 168 839 
			 1999-2000 174 833 
			 2000-01 180 898 
			 2001-02 187 949 
			 2002-03 187 903 
			 2003-04 199 987 
			 2004-05 205 1,000 
			 2005-06 208 997 
		
	
	
		
			  Average gross income of single pensioners by position in the income distribution: 2005-06 prices 
			  £ per week 
			   Bottom quartile  Top quartile 
			 1997-98 93 329 
			 1998-99 95 356 
			 1999-2000 100 365 
			 2000-01 103 390 
			 2001-02 107 369 
			 2002-03 112 386 
			 2003-04 113 396 
			 2004-05 118 412 
			 2005-06 117 429 
		
	
	
		
			  Average gross income of all pensioner units by position in the income distribution: 2005-06 prices 
			  £ per week 
			   Bottom quartile  Top quartile 
			 1997-98 106 571 
			 1998-99 109 607 
			 1999-2000 114 605 
			 2000-01 118 657 
			 2001-02 124 675 
			 2002-03 128 664 
			 2003-04 131 713 
			 2004-05 136 733 
			 2005-06 137 736 
			  Notes:  1. Gross income is income from all sources received by the pensioner unit including income from social security benefits, earnings from employment, any private pension, and tax credits.  2. Gross income distribution is calculated separately for pensioner couples, single pensioners and all pensioner units.  3. Based on survey data and as such subject to a degree of sampling and non sampling error. Users should not read too much into movements in data between single years.  4. Figures are for Great Britain.  5. Figures have been rounded to the nearest £.  6. Pensioner units are either pensioner couples or single pensioners.  7. Pensioner couples are couples where one or more of the adults are state pension age or over.  Source:  Pensioners' Income Series 2005-06 (Revised)

Pensions Bill

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the statement by the Minister for Pensions Reform on 17 July 2007,  Official Report, column 194, on the Pensions Bill, how many members of the Abingdon Carpets pension scheme he expects to be affected by the commitment to match the extra funds that the Young Review identifies with the goal of moving towards 90 per cent. of expected core pension for all recipients.

Mike O'Brien: The information is not available. Abingdon Carpets is still in the process of winding up which is not expected to be completed until 31 December 2007. Until this time, and until data on all scheme members eligible for payment from the Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) has been provided by the trustee, it will not be possible to assess how many will be eligible for assistance.
	In the meantime the FAS Operational Unit (FASOU) is making initial payments at 60 per cent. of core expected pension to five members who have reached the age of 65.

Pensions Regulator

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in how many instances the Pensions Regulator has ordered employers to cease the accrual of further benefits by pension scheme members.

Mike O'Brien: The Regulator has not, as yet, found it necessary in respect of any recovery plan submitted to exercise its powers to modify the scheme in respect of future accrual of benefits.

Pensions Regulator

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in how many instances the pensions regulator has offered clearance to those involved in corporate reconstructions; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: There were 338 clearances offered as at the end of June 2007 in respect of corporate transactions or 'Type A' events.
	The clearance system operated by the regulator has been very successful in helping to achieve beneficial outcomes for both schemes and members. The business community has also welcomed the risk based and proportionate approach that the regulator has adopted in this area. Recent high profile cases have demonstrated that the regulator has significant influence and is not afraid to use its powers where it is right to do so.

Pensions Regulator

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many trustees the Pensions Regulator has  (a) removed and  (b) replaced.

Mike O'Brien: The Regulator has not used its powers to remove or replace any trustees to date. It has however, caused the resignation of one trustee who was then subsequently prohibited by the Regulator's Determinations Panel.
	During 2006-07 the Regulator made 46 appointments from its register of independent trustees and 506 other appointments were also made on application, to defined contribution schemes only.

Pensions Regulator

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many funding schedules the Pensions Regulator has imposed.

Mike O'Brien: The Regulator has not yet found it necessary to use its powers in relation to the new scheme funding regime. However, where it judges it necessary it will work with trustees and employers to ensure that any recovery plan submitted is both prudent and appropriate.

Pensions Regulator

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many scheme-specific funding plans agreed between the trustee and company the pensions regulator has approved.

Mike O'Brien: The regulator does not approve scheme specific plans. Plans submitted to the regulator are reviewed on a risk basis taking into account its statutory objectives and consideration of whether those plans are consistent with the principles in Part 3 of the Pensions Act 2004. Where the regulator is satisfied that trustees and employers have agreed a plan consistent with those principles it will notify the trustees or their designated advisers that it will not be seeking to exercise its statutory powers in respect of the plan.
	As at 30 June 2007, there were 407 plans where trustees had been so notified.

Working Links

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance applies to engagement consultants employed by Working Links with regard to the selection of incentives offered to potential recruits under the scheme.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 24 July 2007
	 The Department for Work and Pensions encourages providers, such as Working Links, to find innovative methods of engaging with unemployed people. The Department is not prescriptive about the types of innovation that may be used to engage with people recruited to the scheme.

Working Links

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been spent on providing incentive vouchers for use by engagement consultants employed by Working Links to offer to potential recruits under the scheme  (a) in Scotland and  (b) throughout the UK since the commencement of the scheme.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 24 July 2007
	 The information is not available as the Department for Work and Pensions does not provide separate funding for the provision of incentive vouchers that may be used by engagement consultants.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Children: Adoption

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many children were adopted in  (a) 1997 and  (b) each of the last three years;
	(2)  what the average age was of children who were adopted in  (a) 1997 and  (b) each of the last three years.

Kevin Brennan: The information provided only relates to children who were looked after by local authority social services in England and not to all children who may have been adopted.
	The number of looked after children who were adopted and the average age at adoption in the years ending 31 March 1997 and 2004 to 2006 are shown in the table as follows.
	
		
			  Children looked after who were adopted in the years ending 31 March 1997, 2004, 2005 and 2006( 1,2) —England 
			   Year ending 31 March 
			   1996-97  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Number of children looked after adopted 1,900 3,800 3,800 3,700 
			 Average age at adoption (years:months) 5:5 4:5 4:2 4:1 
			 (1) Source: SSDA903 (2 )To maintain the confidentiality of each individual child, data at national level are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 to the nearest 10 otherwise. (3) Historical data may differ from older publications. This is mainly due to the implementation of amendments and corrections sent by some local authorities after the publication date of previous materials.

Children: Databases

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many people the Government estimate will have access to ContactPoint.

Kevin Brennan: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 18 July 2007,  Official Report, column 412W.

Children's Centres

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what additional resources he is providing to ensure the delivery by 2010 of the planned Sure Start children's centres; and what training programmes are in place to ensure each centre has access to sufficient trained staff to effectively run the centre.

Beverley Hughes: We have secured additional resources through the recent comprehensive spending review settlement to meet our manifesto commitment of 3,500 Sure Start Children's Centres by 2010. The Department will be advising all 150 local authorities in England of their children's centre revenue allocations for 2008-10 shortly.
	Over the next few years we will train sufficient numbers of centre managers, through the National College for School Leadership, and early years professionals, through the Children's Workforce Development Council, to support the expansion of centres.
	Our practice guidance encourages children's centres to work towards all staff being qualified to at least National Vocational Qualification level 2 and makes it clear that we expect all centre managers to undertake training specifically designed for their new role—the National Professional Qualification for Integrated Centre Leadership. Our Children's Workforce Strategy recommends the development of local workforce strategies as an integral part of local Children and Young People's Plans. These should set out local approaches to developing the workforce. We published in July statutory guidance on the local authority duty to secure the provision of training to the early years and childcare workforce.

National Council for Educational Excellence

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the  (a) membership and  (b) remit is of the new National Council for Educational Excellence; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The membership of the National Council for Educational Excellence (NCEE) is as follows:
	
		
			  National Council for Educational Excellence (NCEE) 
			  Members  
			 Prime Minister Chairs 
			 Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families  
			   
			 Sir Michael Barber Adviser to the Council 
			 David Bell Permanent Secretary, DCSF 
			 Damon Buffini Managing Partner, Permira 
			 Julia Cleverdon Head, Business in the Community 
			 Ann Clynch Principal, Loreto College, Manchester 
			 Jo Davidson Director of Children's Services, Gloucestershire 
			 Bernadette Duffy Head, Thomas Coram Centre, Camden 
			 Jackie Fisher Chief Executive and Principal, Newcastle College 
			 Christine Gilbert HM Chief Inspector, Ofsted 
			 Edward Gould Ex-Chairman, Independent Schools Council 
			 Richard Lambert Director General, CBI 
			 Sir Terry Leahy CEO, Tesco 
			 Ed Mayo Chief Executive, National Consumer Council 
			 Felicity Martin Head Teacher, Eggar's School, Alton 
			 Stephen Munday Principal, Comberton Village College 
			 Howard Newby Vice Chancellor, University of the West of England 
			 Professor Alison Richard Vice Chancellor, University of Cambridge 
			 Sir John Rose Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce 
			 Sir Alan Steer Head Teacher, Seven King's High School, Ilford 
			 Professor Steve Smith Vice Chancellor, Exeter University 
			 Bob Wigley Chairman (Europe, Middle East and Africa), Merrill Lynch 
		
	
	The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools and Learners and I also attend Council meetings.
	The Council has a remit to provide advice to the Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families about strategy and measures to achieve world-class education performance for all children and young people from birth to age 19.
	The Council members will act as advocates and champions to transform expectations and aspirations for the education system, and to rally the teaching profession, businesses, the third sector, universities and colleges, schools and parents to raise standards in schools year on year.
	The Council will be a standing body with priorities, terms of reference and membership to be reviewed by the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State every year.

Parents: Taxation

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what representations he has made to HM Treasury on changing the tax system to support families; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: The Government have in place a range of policies to support families, however I can confirm that no representations have been made at the current time to HM Treasury with regard to changing the tax system in relation to the Department's policies for families.

Primary Education: Capital Investment

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the total capital spending on  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools was in each year since 1996-97 in real terms; what the planned real-term figures are for each year to 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 16 July 2007,  Official Report, column 118W.

Pupil Exclusions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many fixed period exclusions were made in each year since 1994-95, broken down by local education authority (LEA); and what proportion of children were on fixed period exclusions in each LEA in the latest year for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many  (a) permanent and  (b) temporary exclusions there were in each (i) government region and (ii) local education authority in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone) on 23 July 2007,  Official Report, column. 871W.

Pupil Exclusions: Greater London

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many exclusions per pupil from schools there were in each London borough in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone) on 23 July 2007,  Official Report, column 871W.

School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much the Government spent on supplying free fruit and vegetables in school in each year since 1996-97; what assessment has been carried out on the effectiveness of the scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
	The Lottery provided £16 million towards the original pilots of the National School Fruit Scheme (NSFS) between 2000 and 2002. Lottery funding also provided £42 million to support scaling up of the original pilots across five government regions between 2002 and 2004. The Department spent £0.75 million in 2001-02 and £0.3 million in 2002-03 on administering and evaluating the NSFS pilots. The national rollout to all local education authority infant, primary and special schools across England of the scheme was completed at the end of 2004 and in the year 2004-05, the Department spent £28.5 million on the Scheme.
	From April 2005, the Department has fully funded the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme (SFVS). The cost of the Scheme in 2005-06 was £37.83 and £36.77 million in 2006-07. As the Scheme has developed, we have been able to achieve efficiencies in its overall administration and the supply and distribution of the fruit and vegetables which has resulted in spending on the scheme reducing over the last year.
	An initial evaluation of the SFVS was carried out in November 2004. At that stage, the children who participated in the evaluation had only been receiving free fruit and vegetables since June 2004. The results provided a useful insight into the initial impact of the Scheme but it was recognised that further work would need to be undertaken to measure the impact of the Scheme over a longer period. In 2006, we commissioned a further evaluation of the Scheme and the report will be published shortly.

School Meals

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools in each local authority area have no on-site facilities for producing hot school lunches;
	(2)  what information his Department collects on the  (a) quality,  (b) availability and  (c) take-up of school lunches; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  whether all English schools meet the food-based and nutrient standards for lunch and non-lunch food.

Kevin Brennan: The Department does not collect data on how many  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools in (i) England and (ii) each local authority area have no on-site facilities for producing hot school lunches. However, the School Food Trust (SFT) estimate that approximately 20 per cent. of primary schools and 0.2 per cent. of secondary schools have no facilities for food preparation or regeneration.
	Figures from the School Food Trust's 2006 annual survey of school meals take-up in England showed that take-up of school meals in 2005-06 was 42.3 per cent. in primary schools and 42.7 per cent. in secondary schools. Findings from the 2007 survey will be available in August.
	The Department does not collect data on the  (a) quality,  (b) availability  (c) take-up of school lunches. However, the schools' census collects information on the number of pupils known to be eligible for free school lunches, and of those, the number of pupils who take up this entitlement. Provisional data at January 2007 reports that 659,100 (15.9 per cent.) of pupils in maintained nursery and primary schools and 429,930 (13.1 per cent.) of pupils in maintained secondary schools were known to be eligible for free school lunches with 544,340 (13.1 per cent.) pupils in nursery and primary schools and 314,680 (9.6 per cent.) pupils in secondary schools taking up their entitlement.
	All schools in England are currently required to meet interim food-based standards for school lunches and will be required to meet food-based standards for other school food and drink from September 2007. They will also be required to meet nutrient-based standards for school lunches in primary schools from September 2008 and secondary schools from 2009.

Young People: Unemployed

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of 17-year-olds in England are not in education, employment or training.

Beverley Hughes: The figures provided in the table are for individuals at academic age 17(1) who were not in employment, education or training (NEET) in 2006.
	(1) Academic age is the age of the individual measured at the beginning of the academic year, 31 August.
	
		
			   Total NEET  Percentage NEET of the population  17 year old population 
			 2006 (provisional) 62,700 9.5 659,500 
		
	
	These figures are available in the Statistical First Release published by the Department in SFR 22/2007, please see the following web link:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000734/sfr22_2007.pdf.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Best Value

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), of 18 June 2007,  Official Report, column 1524W, on best value, what estimate she has made of the number of Best Value inspections that will take place each year under the Comprehensive Area Assessment regime.

John Healey: The 2006 Budget announced a rationalisation of the number of inspectorates and proposals to significantly reduce the cost of inspection by around a third in the medium term. The Audit Commission is on target to meet this reduction as a result of a more targeted and proportionate approach to inspection and a reduction in the volume of inspections needed for CPA. In its commission to the local services inspectorates, the Government made it clear that they expected the new assessment and inspection regime as a whole to reduce the burdens on the inspected and fit with the Government's commitment to a one-third reduction in the cost of public service inspection by 2008.

Best Value

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove) of 18 June 2007,  Official Report, column 1524W, on best value, whether best value performance indicators will still be collected under the comprehensive area assessment regime.

John Healey: The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill, which is currently before Parliament, will abolish Best Value Performance Indicators (except for Welsh Best Value authorities and the police). In line with our commitment in the local government White Paper "Strong and Prosperous Communities" we are developing a single set of national indicators for local government, working alone or in partnership, which will replace existing sets, including BVPIs. This set of indicators will underpin the new performance framework, including Local Area Agreements and the Comprehensive Area Assessment.

Computers: Carbon Emissions

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding her Department has allocated to the Green Shift cyber-warming programme.

Iain Wright: Greenshift is not a Communities and Local Government project, so no funding has been allocated to it from this Department.

Council Housing: Private Finance Initiative

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many housing projects were funded by private finance initiatives in each of the last 10 years, broken down by local authority.

Iain Wright: A total of 19 schemes have signed since the Housing PFI Programme started, of which 12 have been decent homes schemes and seven have been additional social rented schemes.
	There are also two combined heating and power schemes funded through the programme in Manchester and Tower Hamlets.
	In addition a further 12 schemes are in procurement (six of each); and seven are developing outline business cases (four decent homes, three additional social rented).
	The housing projects funded by the Department's private finance initiative since 1997 are listed, by local authority, in the following table.
	
		
			  Local authority  Project name  Year of signature 
			 Ashford Borough Council Stanhope Estate 2007-08 
			 Coventry City Council New Homes for Old 2005-06 
			 Derby City Council Inner City Regeneration 2000-01 
			 Leeds City Council Swarcliffe 2004-05 
			 London Borough of Camden Chalcots 2006-07 
			 London Borough of Croydon New for Old 2005-06 
			 London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham Homes for Older People 2003-04 
			 London Borough of Islington Islington Street Properties 1 2002-03 
			  Islington Street Properties 2 2006-07 
			 London Borough of Lewisham Brockley 2007-08 
			 London Borough of Newham Canning Town 2005-06 
			 Manchester City Council Ardwick/Plymouth Grove 2002-03 
			  Miles Platting 2006-07 
			 North East Derbyshire District Council Holmewood 1998-99 
			 Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council Sheltered Housing 2006-07 
			 Reading Borough Council North Whitley 2003-04 
			 Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council Hawthorns Fields 2005-06 
			 Selby District Council Non-HRA PFI Project One 2003-04 
			 Warrington Borough Council Anson and Blenheim 2004-05 phase 1/2006-07  phase 2

Council Housing: Waiting Lists

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many households there were on local authority waiting lists for social housing in each Government office region in each year for which figures are available since 1986;
	(2)  how many households there were on local authority waiting lists for social housing in England in each year since 1986.

Iain Wright: The following tables show the number of households on local authority waiting lists for social housing in each Government office region and in England for every year since 1986.
	Local authorities in England currently report the numbers of households on their housing waiting list as at 1 April in their annual Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix returns.
	Not everyone on the waiting list is necessarily in urgent housing need. The waiting list includes those who consider social housing as their preferred or one of a number of housing options, and those who decide to get onto the waiting list ladder before they need or want to move house—particularly where the priority system is heavily based on waiting time.
	
		
			  Number of households on waiting list for social housing, as at 1 April in 1986-2006, by Government office region and England as reported by local authorities 
			   1986  1987  1988  1989  1990  1991  1992 
			 North East 105,822 97,100 81,959 79,586 86,899 93,581 103,862 
			 North West 219,890 195,620 192,048 171,655 170,647 179,743 190,597 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 172,609 160,058 149,790 144,379 174,581 194,623 201,814 
			 East Midlands 130,347 110,436 118,188 128,606 127,138 129,251 128,809 
			 West Midlands 130,267 132,023 131,201 136,888 143,677 144,157 142,780 
			 East of England 111,336 115,779 116,864 123,063 114,998 103,141 99,156 
			 London 272,271 264,343 261,842 244,022 229,035 239,482 231,975 
			 South East 124,247 127,080 132,451 131,650 121,537 114,024 111,349 
			 South West 84,543 87,053 89,110 90,137 87,002 84,536 86,310 
			 England 1,351,332 1,289,492 1,273,453 1,249,986 1,255,514 1,282,538 1,296,652 
		
	
	
		
			   1993  1994  1995  1996  1997  1998  1999 
			 North East 90,876 88,011 86,966 82,223 73,809 68,655 66,028 
			 North West 176,843 158,199 151,917 144,554 124,642 124,203 118,829 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 193,363 182,491 178,076 164,714 173,749 175,608 172,221 
			 East Midlands 121,201 120,088 115,661 113,190 102,868 101,291 100,588 
			 West Midlands 129,055 107,796 103,094 96,661 92,103 92,751 95,857 
			 East of England 94,981 91,035 91,012 90,188 86,424 88,491 91,948 
			 London 206,011 185,604 172,509 178,656 181,080 177,118 194,872 
			 South East 109,617 101,531 100,968 107,107 102,578 104,913 111,425 
			 South West 86,843 86,757 86,932 84,886 84,411 87,199 84,983 
			 England 1,208,790 1,121,512 1,087,135 1,062,179 1,021,664 1,020,229 1,036,751 
		
	
	
		
			   2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 North East 62,116 57,016 62,261 85,421 105,953 89,747 95,359 
			 North West 116,937 112,405 121,213 160,194 177,836 200,600 217,397 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 164,359 150,386 162,365 195,742 197,646 227,430 247,499 
			 East Midlands 99,863 100,611 102,050 111,100 129,265 141,038 133,823 
			 West Midlands 96,037 92,975 95,020 107,536 120,431 137,820 126,629 
			 East of England 98,068 94,846 99,492 110,968 134,305 129,184 135,444 
			 London 196,995 211,469 226,789 242,389 279,729 309,072 331,230 
			 South East 115,901 129,924 129,234 146,880 168,725 181,196 195,700 
			 South West 88,444 89,633 94,918 110,445 123,845 131,193 151,220 
			 England 1,038,720 1,039,265 1,093,342 1,270,675 1,437,735 1,547,280 1,634,301 
			  Note: As reported by local authorities.  Source: Communities and Local Government Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix return (HSSA). Data from the 1986-2000 from Housing Investment Programme (HIP)

Council Tax

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the reasons for the change in  (a) average council tax per dwelling and  (b) average Band D council tax in England between 1997-98 and 2007-08.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for Oldham, East and Saddleworth (Mr. Woolas) to the hon. Member for Newbury (Mr. Benyon) on 27 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1272W.

Departments: Air Conditioning

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was spent by her Department and its agencies on the hire of mobile air conditioning units in each of the last five years.

Iain Wright: The amount spent by the Department for Communities and Local Government and its predecessor the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was:
	
		
			  £ 
			  Building  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Eland House, London — — — 3,920.40 — 
			 Temple Quay, Bristol — — — — 9,340.27 
			 Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, London — — — 2,924.00  
			 Fire Service College, Morton in Marsh — — — — 3,000.00 
			 Total — — — 3,920.40 15,264.27 
		
	
	This answer does not include land or buildings occupied by Government offices, who carry out functions on behalf of 10 Government Departments.
	It is not this Department's usual practice to hire portable air conditioning units unless exceptional business critical reasons exist.
	The high spend at Temple Quay was caused by a combination of problems including local power supply issues (frequent outages), high summer temperatures and a fault developed by our HV transformer switchgear which made it run at temperatures likely to cause a very expensive failure and potentially long term disruption to power supplies to the buildings occupiers. This problem has now been resolved.
	The spend in Eland House was to provide short term extra cooling in the main communications room after additional ICT equipment had been installed and before the primary cooling system had been upgraded.

Departments: Carbon Emissions

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether her Department carbon off sets foreign visits made by its staff; at what cost for visits made in the last 12 months; and what level of carbon dioxide was offset.

Iain Wright: Communities and Local Government have committed to offsetting all official domestic and foreign air travel from 1 April 2006. Departmental aviation emissions are calculated annually and subsequently offset through payments to the Government Carbon Offsetting Fund. The Fund purchases certified emissions reductions credits from energy efficiency and renewable energy projects with sustainable development benefits, located in developing countries. The cost of air travel during the last financial year was £256,974, and 275 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent were offset. The figures provided do not include data from the regional Government offices or our executive agencies.
	The Department does not offset foreign rail travel and is currently unable to accurately calculate this aspect of its carbon emissions.

Departments: Pay

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the salary bands are of each pay grade in her Department.

Iain Wright: The salary bands for each pay band below senior civil service from 1 August 2006 in the central Department excluding Government offices, departmental agencies and NDPBs are as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			  Pay band  Grade  Minimum  Maximum 
			 PBS1 Secretarial 15,294 20,469 
			 FBI Administrative Assistant 14,411 18,904 
			 EM Industrial Grade 14,027 21,958 
			 PB2 Administrative Officer 18,278 23,122 
			 PB3 Executive Officer 21,042 29,274 
			 PB4 Higher Executive Officer 24,611 37,044 
			 PB5 Senior Executive Officer 30,370 42,791 
			 PB6 Grade 7 37,534 53,144 
			 PB7 Grade 6 46,126 65,488 
		
	
	For the senior civil service the information is published on the civil service website at:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management/performance/scs/pay/index.asp

Departments: Publicity

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the cost-effectiveness of advertising commissioned by her Department in the last 12 months.

Iain Wright: The Department uses its communications channels to ensure its policies are properly based in and communicated to target audiences and stakeholders. This is achieved in policy development through consultation and discussion with business, agencies and the public. During implementation, this is achieved by full and open communication to citizens affected by the policy, which can include advertising as a communications medium.
	During the past 12 months we have commissioned a number of advertising campaigns, which have been assessed as a matter of course to gauge their effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. For example:
	The ongoing fire safety campaign delivered a rise in recognition of the new fire prevention advertising from 27 per cent. in July/August 2006 to 45 per cent. in October/November 2006. Fire deaths are at their lowest since 1959 and this campaign is one part of the strategy that has achieved this.
	Research into the local e-gov advertising campaign showed that 51 per cent. of those who recognised the campaign intended to visit their local council website in the next 12 months.
	The campaign to encourage women to apply for posts in the fire and rescue service delivered a 20 per cent. increase in the number of applications from women when the campaign was running.
	The campaign to inform business of their new responsibilities under the Fire Order Reform delivered a rise in recognition from 14 per cent. in April to 61 per cent. in September 2006.
	The Department is committed to developing a work force that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve, enjoying genuine equality of opportunity, and ensuring the Department is rigorously fair in its recruitment and development policies.
	During the past 12 months all vacant posts within the Department were advertised to existing staff in the Department; 33 per cent. of vacancies were also advertised through the civil service. Just 5 per cent. of posts were advertised nationally. In addition, an assessment centre was run for senior civil service (SCS) recruitment at deputy director level, which attracted 20 applicants through this process from which seven appointments were made.
	The success of the Department's recruitment advertising is assessed by the quality, appropriateness and number of applicants applying for publicly advertised posts. In the past 12 months this has resulted in 142 permanent and 17 fixed term appointments to the Department.

Departments: Visits Abroad

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many overseas visits were made by  (a) officials and  (b) Ministers within her responsibility, and at what cost, in each year since 1997.

Iain Wright: This information can be provided only at disproportionate cost. Since 1999, the Government have published on an annual basis, a list of all overseas visits by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of £500, as well as the total cost of all ministerial travel overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. Information for 2006-07 is currently being compiled and will be published before the summer recess. All travel is undertaken in accordance with the 'Civil Service Management Code' and the 'Ministerial Code'.

East of England Development Agency: Contracts

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many contracts the East of England Development Agency has with Luton-based social enterprises; and what the value is of each contract.

John Healey: As a strategic body, East of England Development Agency does not fund specific projects in the same way that many other funding organisations do and funding is delegated locally. Local projects in Luton are taken forward by the Investing in Communities (IiC) partnership there and Luton borough council is responsible for taking forward the social enterprise interventions. Information on the number of contracts and value of these would be held by Luton borough council as it would fall within the delegation levels EEDA has for the IiC partnerships.

Emergency Services

Robert Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make a statement on the Fire and Rescue Service's preparations for responding to a chemical, biological, radioactive or nuclear incident.

Parmjit Dhanda: Through the Home Office led CBRN resilience programme we are working closely with partners across Government to ensure that the Fire and Rescue Service and other emergency services have the necessary equipment and training available to fulfil their part in responding to a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) incident.
	Communities and Local Government's New Dimension Programme has provided the Fire and Rescue Service with 18 strategically located Detection, Identification and Monitoring Units to analyse suspected CBRN substances, 73 Incident Response Units for mass decontamination of the public, personal protection equipment to protect firefighters in a CBRN contaminated environment, and relevant training.

Fire Services

Robert Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 13 December 2006,  Official Report, column 1139W, on Regional Fire Control, what the expected date is by which the proposed new regional fire control centres for  (a) London and  (b) England will be fully networked and operational; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: The first Regional Fire Control Centres are expected to go live in October 2009, with the entire network operational by September 2011. London is expected to join the network in November 2010.

Homelessness

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the ratio was between the number of social housing new lets and the number of households accepted as homeless in the last 12 months in each local housing authority area in England.

Iain Wright: A table has been placed in the Library which shows the ratio between the number of social housing lettings and the number of households accepted as homeless in each local housing authority area in England.
	Local authorities in England report the number of lettings in their annual Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix returns. Registered social landlords record the number of lettings on their Continuous Recording of Social Lettings (CORE) lettings logs. These two data sources have been combined to give the total number of new social lettings in each local authority area, made between 1 April 2005 and 31 March 2006 (figures include transfers of existing tenants where new lettings are made).
	Local authorities report the number of households accepted as homeless in their area on quarterly PI (E) housing returns. Information reported each quarter by local authorities about their activities under homelessness legislation includes the number of households accepted by local authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty. The duty owed to an accepted household is to secure suitable accommodation. If a settled home is not immediately available, the authority may secure temporary accommodation until a settled home becomes available.
	The ratio has been calculated by dividing the number of households accepted as homeless by the number of new social housing lettings.
	It is important to note that not all households accepted as homeless go into social housing. For example, some may go into temporary accommodation for a period of time immediately after acceptance, and others move to accommodation in the private sector or have the homelessness duty otherwise ended.

Housing

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the Valuation Office Agency's target is for increasing the number of domestic dwellings with  (a) value significant code data and  (b) dwellinghouse code data.

John Healey: No such targets exist.

Housing Act 2004

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance she has issued to local authorities on the carrying out of additional licensing under the Housing Act 2004.

Iain Wright: The Department published the "Approval steps for additional and selective licensing designations in England" guidance for local authorities in November 2006.

Housing: Carbon Emissions

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the market demand for zero-carbon homes.

Iain Wright: Demand for housing is high. That is why the Prime Minister increased the annual housebuilding target for 2016 from 200,000 to 240,000 new homes a year. As set out in the Budget, the time limited stamp duty land tax relief should help to generate interest in the market for zero carbon new homes. The Government have set a target that from 2016, all new homes will be zero carbon. Furthermore, a recent survey found that 92 per cent. of respondents want to see sustainability features offered as options on new homes.

Housing: Carbon Emissions

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of construction costs of  (a) a zero carbon home and  (b) an average non-zero carbon home.

Iain Wright: The costs of zero carbon homes and non-zero carbon homes vary depending on the technologies and construction products used. A regulatory impact assessment was undertaken to support the Government's announcement that from 2016, all new homes will be zero carbon. The regulatory impact assessment sets out the estimated cost of a zero carbon new home in 2016 above the cost of a non-zero carbon home. The regulatory impact assessment can be found on the Department's website and in the Library of the House.

Housing: Combined Heat and Power

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what research her Department's Sustainable Buildings Division has carried out on the development of local heat distribution from community-scale combined heat and power plants.

Iain Wright: Communities and Local Government Sustainable Buildings Division has not conducted any direct research on the development of local heat distribution from community-scale combined heat and power plants (CHP). However, Communities and Local Government has indirect involvement in CHP research through its participation in the heat project being undertaken by the Office of Climate Change, which is looking at the carbon impact of heat generation and cooling, and the potential for this to be reduced.

Housing: Construction

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath of 25 June 2007,  Official Report, column 166W, on housing: construction, how many residential sales transactions for  (a) all properties and  (b) new build properties were (i) flats and (ii) houses in each year since 2000.

Iain Wright: The numbers of flats and houses that were sold in England for  (a) all properties and  (b) new build properties since 2002 is presented in the following table. Figures prior to 2002 are not available.
	
		
			  Numbers of residential sales transactions for all properties (a) and new build properties (b) by dwelling type, England, 2002-06 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 All properties 
			 Flats 218,550 204,617 219,839 190,657 243,440 
			 Houses 1,039,427 943,169 950,288 783,623 979,530 
			   
			 New build properties 
			 Flats 30,652 35,299 41,371 46,602 57,655 
			 Houses 77,960 69,633 66,901 55,065 57,124 
			  Source:  HM Land Registry

Housing: Cornwall

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households were on waiting lists for homes in Cornwall in each year since 1997.

Iain Wright: The number of households on the waiting list for social housing in Cornwall in each year since 1997, as at 1 April each year, is published on the Communities and Local Government website in Table 600. The link for this table is:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/embedded_object.asp?id=1163853
	Specifically, the waiting list for social housing in Cornwall in each year since 1997 is given in the following table:
	
		
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly 8,124 9,004 8,723 7,944 7,964 9,743 12,475 13,795 15,610 18,212 
			 Caradon 1,832 2,310 2,323 1,575 1,331 1,327 1,739 1,883 2,608 3,404 
			 Carrick 1,315 1,290 1,334 1,453 1,301 1,397 1,488 1,692 2,362 2,813 
			 Kerrier 875 1,072 850 643 777 1,498 1,905 1,744 1,992 1,990 
			 North Cornwall 1,339 1,473 1,528 1,462 1,500 1,608 1,805 2,261 2,795 2,965 
			 Penwith 1,055 1,216 1,062 1,304 1,028 1,125 1,359 1,379 1,081 2,161 
			 Restormel 1,627 1,583 1,580 1,455 1,970 2,731 4,120 4,769 4,702 4,807 
			 Isles of Scilly 81 60 46 52 57 57 59 67 70 72 
			  Note: As reported by local authorities.  Source: Communities and Local Government Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix return (HSSA) 
		
	
	Local authorities in England report the numbers of households on their housing waiting list as at 1 April in their annual Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix returns. Not everyone on the waiting list is necessarily in urgent housing need. The waiting list includes those who consider social housing as their preferred or one of a number of housing options, and those who decide to get onto the waiting list ladder before they need or want to move house—particularly where the priority system is heavily based on waiting time.

Housing: Cornwall

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the maximum cost of housing deemed affordable in Cornwall is; and how many houses  (a) built in Cornwall in the last 10 years and  (b) in total in Cornwall have a value at or below that figure.

Iain Wright: holding answer 24 July 2007
	Whether market housing is affordable depends on a number of factors relevant to individuals looking to purchase a home. It is not possible to specify a single price for what would be affordable in Cornwall. However, the lower quartile price for new dwellings sold in Cornwall was around £135,250 in 2006 (i.e. 25 per cent. of new dwellings sold were at or below this price).
	As stated in Planning Policy Statement 3 (PPS3)
	"the Government defines affordable housing as including social rented and intermediate housing"
	e.g. low cost home ownership. New build figures in Cornwall for these types of housing are tabulated as follows along with the total new build.
	
		
			  Total new build and total affordable new build, 1996-97 to 2005-06 
			   Total new build  Affordable new build 
			 1996-97 1,400 457 
			 1997-98 1,513 429 
			 1998-99 1,918 421 
			 1999-2000 1,800 218 
			 2000-01 2,094 263 
			 2001-02 1,983 233 
			 2002-03 1,851 278 
			 2003-04 1,681 312 
			 2004-05 1,688 241 
			 2005-06 1,623 372 
			  Source: Statistical returns from local authorities, Housing Corporation 
		
	
	New build registered social landlord and council dwellings only make up part of the affordable supply; the remainder being acquired by registered social landlords. Between 1996-97 and 2005-06, acquisitions by registered social landlords numbered 917, taking the total affordable housing provision in Cornwall to 4,141 over the period.
	Cornwall is defined as the local districts of Caradon, Carrick, Kerrier, North Cornwall, Penwith, Restormel and the Isles of Scilly.

Housing: Low Incomes

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what minimum standards of  (a) quality and  (b) availability of services apply to affordable housing provided by (i) private developers and (ii) registered social landlords.

Iain Wright: holding answer 9 July 2007
	Registered social landlords (RSLs) are expected to meet the Housing Corporation's Regulatory Code and guidance (available on the Corporation's website) to provide good-quality housing services for residents and prospective residents:
	By seeking to offer a choice of home, while giving reasonable preference to those in priority housing need;
	By offering the most secure form of tenure compatible with the purpose of the housing and the sustainability of the community;
	With agreements that clearly set out residents' and landlords' rights and obligations;
	By being responsive to the individual characteristics and circumstances of residents;
	By using lettings policies that are fair and reflect the diversity of their client groups, and
	By providing high standards of customer care.
	RSLs are assessed by the Housing Corporation on management and are also subject to inspection by the Audit Commission on services offered.
	Private developers and other unregistered bodies in receipt of social housing grant from the Housing Corporation for new affordable housing are required to meet similar standards where they retain ownership of the homes.

Housing: Low Incomes

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she has placed any financial limits on her Department's definition of affordable for the purpose of the granting of planning permissions for residential development on  (a) unfettered sites where a quota of affordable homes applies and  (b) exceptions sites.

Iain Wright: Affordable housing is defined in "Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing". Its definition includes that such housing "should meet the needs of eligible households, including availability at a cost low enough for them to afford, determined with regard to local incomes and local house prices". We have no plans to change that definition.

Housing: Low Incomes

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which recommendations from John Hill's report on social housing she expects to be implemented by her Department.

Iain Wright: Professor John Hills' review of social housing 'Ends and means: The future role of social housing in England' sets out an objective and comprehensive platform to support the debate on social housing reform and inform policy development going forward—it does not make any specific recommendations for Government.
	As the Housing Green Paper 'Homes for the future: more affordable, more Sustainable', published on 23 July 2007 announces, we will set out new proposals in response to the Hills' review in the autumn.

Housing: Low Incomes

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) councils and  (b) housing associations are offering Extended Open Market Homebuy schemes.

Iain Wright: Expanded Open Market HomeBuy is delivered through 23 housing associations, 'HomeBuy Agents', who provide a one stop shop for low cost home ownership opportunities in their area. The scheme is not delivered through councils, but they work with HomeBuy agents to ensure that those in priority need of social housing and existing social tenants get priority for the scheme.

Housing: Prices

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her most recent estimate is of the average price of a dwelling purchased by a first time buyer in England.

Iain Wright: Communities and Local Government publish their monthly house price figures for first time buyers at:
	http://www.communities. gov.uk/pub/165/Table592_id1156165.xls
	In May 2007 the mix-adjusted average house price of dwellings purchased by first time buyers in England was £167,548.

Housing: Renewable Energy

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many domestic properties in England have  (a) small-scale wind turbines and  (b) solar panels, according to Valuation Office Agency valuation records.

John Healey: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Housing: Repairs and Maintenance

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what support her Department provides to assist the work of home improvement agencies.

Iain Wright: Communities and Local Government's 'Supporting People' grant programme provided around £12.8 million to home improvement agencies in 2005-06. This contributes to their core costs, with additional revenue funding met from local authority housing funding and fee income from public grants, including the Department's Disabled Facilities Grant. Over half of the estimated £99.5 million annual capital funding for works for home improvement agency clients comes from the Disabled Facilities Grant.
	The Department also sponsors a national co-ordinating body for home improvement agencies (foundations) to support the work of home improvement agencies in a number of ways, including capacity building within the sector.

Housing: Sales

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many domestic dwellings with four or more bedrooms were sold in England in the last 12 months according to figures held by the Valuation Office Agency.

John Healey: According to the data currently held by the VOA, the number of completed sales of dwellings with four or more bedrooms in the 12 months from 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 was 211,284.

Judicial Review: Legal Costs

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her Department's expenditure was on legal fees for the judicial reviews brought by  (a) the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and  (b) Shrewsbury and Atcham borough council.

Iain Wright: The most recent figures for the expenditure incurred to date by Communities and Local Government (CLG) on legal fees for these two judicial reviews is as follows:
	 (a) Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors: £19,830;
	 (b) Shrewsbury and Atcham borough council: £10,877.
	The figures provided include both Treasury Solicitor's charges to CLG, and disbursements on fees for Treasury Counsel, who advise and represent CLG at court hearings.

Local Authorities: Contracts

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many contracts with social enterprises each council in England has; and what the total value is of such contracts.

John Healey: The information requested is not held centrally.

Local Authorities: Finance

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what annual efficiency savings have been set for local authorities in each year from 2008 to 2011.

John Healey: The 2007 Budget set down a baseline ambition of 3 per cent. annual cashable efficiencies for local government as a whole during the period covered by the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review. Further information on requirements for efficiency is subject to decisions to be taken as part of that Review.

Local Authorities: Standards

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on which indicators her Department collects information from local authorities.

John Healey: The Department of Communities and Local Government has set 86 Best Value Performance Indicators against which local authorities must report in 2007-08. These measure performance on policy areas across Government and details can be found on the Department's website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1136106.

Local Government Finance

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  why local authorities may not securitise their revenue streams to help finance capital projects;
	(2)  what powers local authorities have to issue bonds; and what authorisation is required from the Government for them to do so;
	(3)  which local authorities have issued municipal bonds since 1997;
	(4)  what authority local authorities require from the Government to borrow money through loans  (a) from the Public Works Loans Board and  (b) in the form of lenders option, borrowers option.

John Healey: Local authorities' borrowing powers are laid down in the Local Government Act 2003. Authorities are free to borrow without Government consent, provided that they can afford to service the debt from their own resources. Authorities would require the Government's consent to borrow other than in sterling, but apart from that may obtain their loans from any source. That includes borrowing from the Public Works Loan Board or seeking "lender's option borrower's option" loans from private sector banks. Authorities may also raise finance by issuing bonds, again without Government consent. Information on authorities' issues of bonds is not held centrally. We have no plans to give authorities a power to securitise, since they can obtain the same level of finance more simply by borrowing on the strength of their revenue streams.

Local Government: Equal Pay

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what resources are available to local government to meet the cost of equal pay.

John Healey: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Cannock Chase (Dr. Wright) on 19 July 2007,  Official Report, columns 492-94W.
	Equal pay is not a new pressure, and local authorities will need to manage any equal pay pressures within the range of resources available such as central grant and council tax, and seeking capitalisation where necessary. Many authorities have already revised their pay arrangements, and others have put aside sufficient reserves.

Local Government: Finance

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which bodies are responsible for negotiating local government  (a) pension and  (b) pay settlements.

John Healey: Local Government pension scheme entitlements are not subject to negotiation. They are prescribed in secondary legislation, made by the Secretary of State, following full consultation with all relevant scheme interests as required by the Superannuation Act 1972.
	Local Government pay is determined by individual local authority employers, most of whom use a national framework. The majority of the local government work force is covered by the National Joint Council (NJC) for Local Government Services.

Local Government: Inspections

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what role the  (a) Electoral Commission,  (b) Office for the Surveillance Commissioner,  (c) Food Standards Agency and  (d) Health and Safety Executive/Commission have in inspecting local authorities.

John Healey: The Electoral Commission undertakes reviews of electoral arrangements in local government in England. The Surveillance Commissioner is responsible for establishing compliance with the powers granted by Parliament to authorise and conduct covert surveillance operations carried out by all local authorities, except the intelligence services. The Health and Safety Executive's role, as an enforcing authority, includes responsibility for enforcement against local authorities as an employer under the Health and Safety (Enforcing Authority) Regulations 1998. The Health and Safety Commission also expects all local authorities to undergo an inter-authority audit of their management of health and safety enforcement at least once every five years. The Food Standards Agency audits local authorities in accordance with relevant EC guidelines, to ensure the delivery of official feed and food controls—largely enforced by local environmental health and trading standards services.
	The Local Authority Better Regulation Group in the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (DBERR) is leading on ensuring co-ordination between the different national bodies who have roles re local authority regulatory services (eg Food Standards Agency, Consumer and Trading Standards Agency, etc.).

Local Government: Pensions

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what changes have been made to eligibility and entitlements under the Local Government Pension Scheme since May 2005; and on what changes to the scheme her Department is consulting.

John Healey: Since May 2005, several amendments have been made to the regulatory framework which governs the Local Government Pension Scheme in England and Wales. A full list can be found at:
	http://timeline.lge.gov.uk/Amended/SI/siidx.htm.
	Currently, statutory consultations are under way on proposals for added protections for older, eligible Scheme members, providing these are legal and affordable, and on proposals to provide transitional protections for existing 1997 Scheme members who will transfer to the new 2008 Scheme from 1 April next year.

Local Government: Referendums

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local referendums have been held by local authorities under the provisions of the Local Government Act 2003.

John Healey: The information requested is not held centrally.

Non-Domestic Rates: Tax Allowances

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the timetable is for the review of non-domestic rate reliefs and exemptions; and whether the Government intend to publish a consultation paper.

John Healey: Reviewing business rates reliefs and exemptions has been included in the ongoing work of Communities and Local Government, involving other Departments and stakeholders as appropriate. Any proposals emerging from the review will of course be subject to consultation in the usual way.

Planning Obligations

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment her Department has made of the merits of a tariff system in place of Section 106 agreements and planning-gain supplement.

Iain Wright: Paragraph 3.117 of the 2006 pre-Budget report (CM 6984) indicated that the Government have considered alternative measures to capture land value uplift and that they have looked closely at these models. The predecessor Department to Communities and Local Government consulted on the introduction of a mandatory tariff in December 2001 and on an optional planning charge in November 2003. The Government continue to believe that a workable and effective planning-gain supplement (PGS) represents a fairer and more effective means of capturing land value to help finance infrastructure.
	In his statement on the third session draft legislative programme on 11 July 2007, the Prime Minister said that the Planning-gain Supplement Bill is provisional within that programme because if, prior to the pre-Budget report, a better way is identified of ensuring that local communities receive significantly more of the benefit from planning gain, including to invest in necessary infrastructure and transport, and it is demonstrated that it is a better alternative, the Government will be prepared to defer next Session's legislation.
	The Housing Green Paper published on 23 July 2007 says that PGS remains the Government's preferred option but lists the main alternative approaches, including those which have been raised by stakeholders. These approaches set out in the Green Paper will form the basis for discussions with key stakeholders prior to the pre-Budget report.

Rates and Rating: Aerials

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 11 July 2007 to the hon. Member for Guildford,  Official Report, column 1474W, on rates and rating: aerials, how many communication masts were on the Valuation Office Agency's rating list in England on  (a) 31 March 2003 and  (b) 31 March 2007.

John Healey: There is no single rating list for England but one for each billing authority. On the lists for the English billing authorities there were the following number of mast sites:
	 (a) as at 31 March 2003, 17,227
	 (b) as at 31 March 2007, 26,590.

Regional Planning and Development

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment her Department has made of the effect of  (a) PPG3 and  (b) PPS3 on the supply of flats in the housing market; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: In the period 2000 to 2006, new build dwelling completions that were flats increased from 20 per cent. to 47 per cent. nationally. It is not possible to say whether this was a direct result of PPG3, as other policies, commercial considerations and market factors will also have played a part.
	The Government want to see local planning authorities providing the right types of housing to meet need and demand in areas, based on a robust evidence-based approach. This is why PPS3 asks local authorities to carry out strategic housing market assessments, which should then inform the planning process.
	If assessments show that a greater number of larger homes are needed, then we would expect these to be planned for and delivered. But equally there will be areas where smaller homes, including flats, will be needed.
	It is too early to assess the effect of PPS3.

Regional Planning and Development: West Midlands

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the oral statement of 17 July 2007,  Official Report, columns 161-2, on economic reform, if she will direct the West Midlands Regional Assembly to defer the consultation on the revision to the regional spatial strategy to enable the strategy's integration with the regional economic strategy; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: No. It is essential that the phase two of the regional spatial strategy revision, which will include new housing numbers, is undertaken as agreed to provide clear guidance for local authorities producing their core strategies. The Regional Assembly and the Regional Development Agency have already taken steps to ensure effective integration of the revision with the regional economic strategy revision. This includes shared evidence and joint working groups.
	Regional Assemblies will continue to have a key role in taking forward Regional Spatial Strategies until new arrangements are introduced.

Rented Housing

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 9 July 2007,  Official Report, column 1280W on rented housing, what recent meetings her Department has held with stakeholder groups to discuss affordable housing; and if she will place in the Library the minutes of such meetings.

Iain Wright: My hon. Friend the Member for Pontefract and Castleford (Yvette Cooper) officials and I have routine and regular contact with a wide range of stakeholders including affordable housing providers. The Housing Green Paper which we published on 23 July provides all stakeholders with an opportunity to offer their views on how we can best increase the delivery of affordable housing. The Green Paper sets out our plans for the delivery of more affordable housing.

Small Businesses: Non-Domestic Rates

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether her Department holds records on the take-up of small business rate relief.

John Healey: Communities and Local Government does not hold records on the take-up rate of small business rate relief.

Social Sector Working Party on Housing

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what further consultation she carried out before taking decisions on the social sector working party's interim report on major works charges.

Iain Wright: No further consultation was carried out following receipt of the interim report of the Social Sector Working Party on major works Bills at the end of January 2007. The Government's statement to Parliament about high leaseholder major works Bills, on 29 March 2007, available at the following link, reported progress on its own review of these issues. This review was started in February 2006, and involved extensive consultation with stakeholders including leaseholder representatives, social landlords, the Leasehold Advisory Service, and lenders. It also took account of the Working Party's report.
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm070329/wmstext/70329m0001.htm#07032949000022

South East England Development Agency: Official Hospitality

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the South East England Development Agency spent on hospitality and entertainment in each year since it was created.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Member for East Ham (Mr. Timms) to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 18 July 2007,  Official Report, column 360W.

Sustainable Development

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment her Department has made of the effect on communities of being designated as unsustainable as a consequence of Planning Policy Statement 1.

Iain Wright: Planning Policy Statement 1 "Delivering Sustainable Development" sets out the key role of planning in contributing to the delivery of sustainable development. In particular, the planning system should facilitate and promote sustainable and inclusive patterns of urban and rural development by:
	making suitable land available for development in line with economic, social and environmental objectives to improve people's quality of life;
	contributing to sustainable economic development;
	protecting and enhancing the natural and historic environment, the quality and character of the countryside, and existing communities;
	ensuring high quality development through good and inclusive design, and the efficient use of resources; and,
	ensuring that development supports existing communities and contributes to the creation of safe, sustainable, liveable and mixed communities with good access to jobs and key services for all members of the community.
	Policies in regional and local development plans, together with national planning policies, provide the framework for decisions on future urban and rural development. In preparing development plans, planning authorities have a statutory requirement to do so in a way that contributes to the delivery of sustainable development. Part of that process will be to ensure that policies in plans seek to improve the sustainability of existing communities as well as ensuring new developments contribute towards that aim.

Thames Gateway

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what response she has made to the National Audit Office report "Thames Gateway: Laying the Foundations", with particular regard to the sections on performance and planning; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: There was a hearing of the Committee of Public Accounts on 13 June 2007 based on the National Audit Office's report. Subsequent to the hearing the Department will receive a report from the Committee of Public Accounts with recommendations, which the Government will then respond to.
	After the hearing the Department's Permanent Secretary wrote a follow-up note to the Committee in response to questions raised by hon. Members.
	The Thames Gateway Executive has already implemented the majority of the recommendations in the original National Audit Office report which formed the basis of the Committee of Public Accounts hearing. In particular a cross-Government board for the Thames Gateway has been set up and will have its third meeting on 19 July. A final delivery plan for the Thames Gateway is being prepared which will be completed later this year. Finally a communications strategy for the Thames Gateway is also being prepared.

Travelling People: Regional Planning and Development

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance her Department provides on the  (a) definitions and  (b) methodology for calculating the (i) regional, (ii) national and (iii) local need for authorised traveller site provision.

Iain Wright: Local authorities are required to undertake accommodation needs assessments for Gypsies and Travellers in their area, and Communities and Local Government has provided draft guidance on this. A final version will be published shortly. Regional assemblies are responsible for reviewing regional spatial strategies to determine regional pitch requirements and allocate them between local authorities, and Communities and Local Government has published research to assist with this process.
	Both of these documents are available on our website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1153486
	Guidance on calculating national levels of need is not produced.

Urban Areas: Cheltenham

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 25 June 2007,  Official Report, column 182W, on urban areas: Cheltenham, whether the information provided is available, broken down by age bands for the period covered in the draft Regional Spatial Strategy.

Iain Wright: The information is available at Table 20: Population by sex and quinary age for all local authorities and higher areas, published by the Office for National Statistics on 12 October 2006, and can be accessed at:
	http://www. statistics.gov.uk/STATBASE/ssdataset.asp?vlnk=9496
	The following table is extracted from this analysis.
	
		
			  2004 based population projections for Cheltenham borough 
			  Thousand 
			  Age group  2006  2026 
			 0-4 5.6 5.8 
			 5-9 6.0 5.8 
			 10-14 6.4 6.1 
			 15-19 8.1 6.8 
			 20-24 8.2 8.5 
			 25-29 8.0 8.3 
			 30-34 7.5 8.4 
			 35-39 8.4 8.5 
			 40-44 8.5 7.7 
			 45-49 7.2 7.0 
			 50-54 6.6 6.8 
			 55-59 6.7 7.5 
			 60-64 5.6 7.4 
			 65-69 4.7 6.2 
			 70-74 4.2 5.4 
			 75-79 3.9 5.4 
			 80-84 3.4 4.1 
			 85+ 2.9 4.5 
			 All ages 111.9 120.1 
			  Source: Table 20: Population by sex and quinary age for all local authorities and higher areas published by the Office for National Statistics (12 October 2006).

Valuation Office

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 27 June 2007,  Official Report, column 817W, on the Valuation Office, which consultants have been commissioned to assist with the automated valuation model since September 2005.

John Healey: No consultants have been commissioned since September 2005. Some consultancy advice is still provided by the firm Cole Layer Trumble (CLT). This is part of an ongoing contractual arrangement between Capgemini, the agency's IT providers, and CLT.

JUSTICE

Coroners

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which case in each coroner's district has been waiting the longest time for the opening of an inquest; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: An inquest is opened to take identification evidence and to enable release of the body to the family and they are generally opened within a few days of the death. There will, however, be a longer interval between the death and the opening where there is the possibility of a homicide offence. In these circumstances the inquest will only be opened when the police are satisfied that the body will not be needed for the purposes of an investigation. No statistics are kept on the length of time between a death and the opening of an inquest. The following table however, shows the oldest opened case in each coroner's jurisdictions as 31 December 2006 based on information supplied by coroners.
	
		
			  Date of oldest outstanding inquest case, as at 31 December 2006. by coroner jurisdiction 
			  County and district  Date of oldest case (as at 31 December 2006) 
			 England and Wales 1 February 1997 
			   
			 The Queen's Household 31 August 1997 
			   
			  England  
			  North East  
			  Durham  
			 Darlington and South Durham 31 January 2004 
			 North Durham 16 April 2004 
			 Hartlepool 2 August 2006 
			   
			  Northumberland  
			 North Northumberland 9 August 2003 
			 South Northumberland 12 September 2002 
			 Teesside 10 December 2003 
			   
			  Tyne and Wear  
			 Gateshead and South Tyneside 2 March 2003 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 18 January 2003 
			 North Tyneside 10 May 2006 
			 Sunderland 10 December 2004 
			   
			  North West  
			 Cheshire 7 January 2004 
			   
			  Cumbria  
			 North East Cumbria 16 October 2003 
			 South Cumbria and Furness 2 August 2002 
			 Western Cumbria 27 August 2003 
			   
			  Greater Manchester  
			 Manchester City 1 April 1998 
			 Manchester North 2 April 2003 
			 Manchester South 25 March 2004 
			 Manchester West 25 February 2003 
			   
			  Lancashire  
			 Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley 25 April 2005 
			 Blackpool/Fylde 22 July 2004 
			 East Lancashire 17 September 2003 
			 Preston and South West Lancashire 28 November 2003 
			   
			  Merseyside  
			 Sefton, Knowsley and St. Helens 15 May 2001 
			 Liverpool 14 November 2002 
			 Wirral 24 November 2004 
			  Yorkshire and the Humber  
			 East Riding and Hull 22 March 2005 
			 North Lincolnshire and Grimsby 25 May 2003 
			 York City 31 March 2005 
			   
			  North Yorkshire  
			 North Yorkshire Eastern District 12 October 1998 
			 North Yorkshire Western District 26 September 2002 
			   
			  South Yorkshire  
			 South Yorkshire Eastern District 3 September 2001 
			 South Yorkshire Western District 15 August 2005 
			   
			  West Yorkshire  
			 West Yorkshire Eastern District 16 March 2002 
			 West Yorkshire Western District 10 May 1999 
			   
			  East Midlands  
			  Derbyshire  
			 Derby and South Derbyshire 1 July 2003 
			 Scarsdale 16 July 2003 
			   
			  Leicestershire  
			 Leicester city and South Leicestershire 11 June 2003 
			 Rutland and North Leicestershire 24 January 2004 
			   
			  Lincolnshire  
			 Boston and Spalding 15 September 2005 
			 West Lincolnshire 25 May 2004 
			 Spilsby and Louth 8 August 2004 
			 Stamford 21 November 2002 
			 Northamptonshire 1 March 2000 
			 Nottinghamshire 2 October 2002 
			   
			  West Midlands  
			 Herefordshire 11 October 2004 
			   
			  Shropshire  
			 Mid and North Shropshire 12 July 2003 
			 South Shropshire 8 February 2002 
			   
			  Staffordshire  
			 Staffordshire South 29 September 2004 
			 Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire 28 May 2002 
			 Telford and Wrekin 3 March 2003 
			 Warwickshire 18 October 2002 
			   
			  West Midlands (metropolitan area)  
			 Birmingham and Solihull 1 February 1997 
			 Black Country 23 July 2004 
			 Coventry 15 July 2005 
			 Wolverhampton 1 June 1998 
			 Worcestershire 16 July 2002 
			   
			  East of England  
			 Bedfordshire and Luton 8 March 2005 
			   
			  Cambridgeshire  
			 North and East Cambridgeshire 27 October 2005 
			 South and West Cambridgeshire 10 February 2006 
			 Essex and Thurrock 8 January 2002 
			 Hertfordshire 29 July 1997 
			   
			  Norfolk  
			 Great Yarmouth 14 February 2006 
			 Norwich and Central Norfolk 24 January 2005 
			 King's Lynn 29 June 2006 
			 Peterborough 9 February 2005 
			 Southend-On-Sea 15 January 2003 
			 Suffolk 24 April 2003 
			   
			  London  
			 City of London 12 March 2003 
			 East London 1 November 2002 
			 Inner North London 24 October 2004 
			 Inner South London 21 July 2001 
			 Inner West London 30 April 2004 
			 North London 4 August 2004 
			 South London 6 March 2001 
			 West London 16 September 2002(1) 
			   
			  South East  
			 Berkshire(2) 17 February 2003 
			 Brighton and Hove 6 July 2006 
			 Buckinghamshire 5 September 2005 
			 East Sussex 3 February 2004 
			   
			  Hampshire  
			 Central Hampshire 5 August 2003 
			 North East Hampshire 26 June 2006 
			 Portsmouth and South East Hampshire 10 September 2001 
			 Southampton and New Forest 11 October 2002 
			 Isle of Wight 3 November 2004 
			   
			  Kent  
			 Central and South East Kent 19 July 2001 
			 Mid Kent and Medway 11 September 2003 
			 North East Kent 31 January 2002 
			 North West Kent 19 June 2001 
			 Milton Keynes 1 July 2004 
			 Oxfordshire 6 July 1998 
			 Surrey 31 August 1997 
			 West Sussex 21 September 2005 
			   
			  South West  
			 Avon(2) 18 April 1998 
			 Cornwall 15 April 2002 
			   
			  Devon  
			 Exeter and Greater Devon 10 April 2003 
			 Plymouth and South West Devon 16 July 2002 
			 Torbay and South Devon 26 June 2005 
			   
			  Dorset  
			 Bournemouth Poole and Eastern Dorset 8 May 2001 
			 Western Dorset 3 August 2000 
			 Gloucestershire 22 March 2004 
			 Isles of Scilly —(3) 
			   
			  Somerset  
			 Eastern Somerset 17 December 2004 
			 Western Somerset 19 February 2004 
			 Wiltshire and Swindon 22 July 2003 
			   
			  Wales  
			 Bridgend and Glamorgan Valleys 14 October 2002 
			 Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan 23 April 2003 
			 Carmarthenshire 25 September 2005 
			 Central North Wales 20 November 2005 
			 Ceredigion 9 December 2004 
			 Gwent 19 October 2003 
			 Neath and Port Talbot 3 April 2005 
			 North East Wales 13 February 2004 
			 North West Wales 1 October 1999 
			 Pembrokeshire 9 August 2005 
			 Powys 4 August 2004 
			 City and County of Swansea 15 July 2002 
			 (1) Estimated. (2) Former county. (3) None.  Notes: 1. The dates given may in some cases refer to the date of death, or the date the inquest was opened, rather than the date the death was reported to the coroner. 2. Estimated dates: the month was given but no further information, so mid-month was taken as a suitable estimate.

Courts: Nottingham

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 15 May 2007,  Official Report, column 707W, on courts: Nottingham, whether the assessment of the impact of powers under section 178 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 has been completed.

Maria Eagle: The assessment of impact of the proposed extension of review powers under section 178 to 11 new community justice areas (including Nottingham) was completed, and an affirmative order providing for the extension was laid before Parliament. The order was debated in Committee, and was duly approved by the House of Commons on 16 July and the House of Lords on 17 July.

Dangerous Driving

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to implement the section of the Road Safety Act 2006 on causing death by careless driving.

Maria Eagle: We aim to implement the new offence of causing death by careless driving in the autumn once the Sentencing Guidelines Council (SGC) has published sentencing guidelines for it.
	During the passage of the Act through Parliament, concerns were expressed about how the new offences contained in that Act would be used in practice and how they should fit with the overall framework of bad driving offences. We therefore felt it essential to wait for the SGC, who are responsible for publishing definitive sentencing guidelines for all criminal offences for England and Wales, to produce guidelines to ensure consistency in sentencing. Although the guidelines will not apply to Scotland, it seemed sensible to implement the offence at the same time in all the areas concerned.
	The SGC have informed us that they hope to issue guidelines on this subject in autumn 2007 following full consultation. They are treating this as a priority.

Drugs: Crime

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were cautioned for drug-related offences in each of the last 10 years; what average prison sentence was awarded for each different category of drug-related offence in each of those years; and what average prison sentence was served by those convicted of drug-related offences in each of the last 10 years, broken down by category of offence.

David Hanson: The information requested on cautions and the average immediate custodial sentence length, for the years 1995 to 2005, is contained in the tables.
	This is confined to offences under the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979, the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 etc. as it is not possible to identify from the Court Proceedings database the number of other offences committed while persons are under the influence of drugs or those committed to finance a drugs habit.
	Information on the average time served for all offences, by sentence length can be found in tables 10.1 and 10.2 of the Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2005, copies of which can be found in the House of Commons Library. This information is also available at the following websites:
	For 2005:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/hosb1806section10.xls
	For 2004:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/hosb1705section10.xls
	For 2003:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs04/hosb1504section10.xls
	For the years before 2003 table 3.14 in Prison statistics England and Wales 2002 (CM 5996) gives average time served in prison under sentence by prisoners discharged from 1993 to 2002. Copies of this publication can be found in the House of Commons Library.
	The data, which are obtained from the prison IT system, are not shown separately by offence because the numbers at this level of detail cannot be guaranteed.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system, and although shown to the last individual the figures may not be accurate to that level.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of offenders cautioned for drug offences England and Wales, 1996-2005( 1,2,3) 
			   Number cautioned 
			 1996 47,471 
			 1997 56,028 
			 1998 58,733 
			 1999 49,348 
			 2000 41,104 
			 2001 39,424 
			 2002 44,921 
			 2003 45,706 
			 2004 32,620 
			 2005 34,390 
			 (1) These data are provided on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Formal warnings for cannabis possession were introduced nationally from April 2004. There were 39,258 formal warnings for cannabis possession in 2004-05 and 62,586 in 2005-06.  Source: RDS—Office for Criminal Justice Reform 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Average length of  immediate custodial sentence( 1)  for drug offences, all courts, England and Wales 1996-2005 
			  Average length of sentence 
			   1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			  Unlawful importation:   
			 Class A n/a n/a 85.5 88.6 82.5 75.9 72.2 79.2 83.7 81.4 
			 Class B n/a n/a 37.4 36.6 32.6 31.0 25.0 29.7 40.8 62.6 
			 Class C n/a n/a 47.4 42.0 24.8 6.6 4.6 8.0 21.2 27.6 
			 Class unspecified 63.3 68.4 78.9 63.9 48.2 43.9 61.3 56.9 61.2 64.0 
			
			  Unlawful exportation:   
			 Class A n/a n/a 50.0 50.5 29.3 85.0 96.8 85.5 81.8 130.7 
			 Class B n/a n/a 45.0 40.0 17.5 84.0 25.5 — 53.0 — 
			 Class C n/a n/a — — — 30.0 — — — 24.0 
			 Class unspecified 61.1 55.5 60.1 25.0 17.2 12.1 61.2 110.0 64.4 61.7 
			
			  Production, supply and possession with intent to supply a controlled drug:   
			 Class A 36.8 37.6 37.1 37.9 36.6 36.3 39.8 40.7 40.7 38.4 
			 Class B 13.8 13.6 13.8 14.0 14.6 16.2 16.8 15.8 17.6 20.2 
			 Class C 13.0 8.6 7.8 7.9 13.3 10.3 17.3 19.5 11.7 13.3 
			 Class unspecified 35.5 27.9 26.3 40.1 33.1 36.8 35.6 42.0 64.4 61.7 
			
			  Possession of a controlled drug:   
			 Class A 8.0 6.5 5.9 5.2 5.3 5.2 5.2 6.2 7.3 6.4 
			 Class B 5.2 4.4 4.2 3.1 3.2 3.5 3.4 4.0 3.7 4.7 
			 Class C 2.8 2.6 1.6 3.6 2.7 4.6 2.5 1.2 2.8 4.0 
			 Class unspecified 5.7 5.0 3.2 4.9 3.0 5.1 3.3 16.1 12.0 19.9 
			 Other drug offences 16.1 24.3 19.9 20.8 19.9 34.1 24.4 25.8 26.4 19.0 
			 n/a = Not available. (1) Excludes life and indeterminate sentences.  Note: These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.  Source: RDS-NOMS, Ministry of Justice

Employment: Equality

Peter Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 3 July 2007,  Official Report, column 983, on employment: equality, who conducted the review; when it  (a) was established and  (b) reported; and if he will publish its conclusions.

Bridget Prentice: The review mentioned in the answer of 3 July 2007 was an internal review of the policy on retirement ages of the judiciary and was intended to inform and advise the then Lord Chancellor about the retirement age policies currently in place. It was carried out by officials in the former Department for Constitutional Affairs and was timed to advise the Lord Chancellor ahead of the coming into force of the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006, in October 2006. The advice was not published. Following the advice, the Lord Chancellor concluded that no changes would be made to the current policies on retirement ages of the judiciary.

Google: Doubleclick

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 16 July 2007,  Official Report, columns 47-48W, on Google: Doubleclick, whether he has held discussions with the Information Commissioner on privacy and data protection in the context of Google's proposed acquisition of Doubleclick; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Wills: I have met with the Information Commissioner but we have not discussed privacy and data protection in the context of Google's proposed acquisition of Doubleclick.

Irish Sea: Environment Protection

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what matters relating to environmental protection and control of liquid discharges to the Irish Sea were discussed at the British-Irish Council on 16 July in Belfast; and what decisions were reached.

Michael Wills: There was a British-Irish Council (BIC) Summit in Belfast on 16 July, which was attended by the Prime Minister. The control of liquid discharge into the Irish Seas was not discussed during the BIC Summit meeting. The BIC is however continuing to intensify co-operation and exchange of information between the members on a number of important environmental areas, including unavoidable climate change, understanding extreme weather events, integrated coastal zone management and managing radioactive waste.

Judicial Appointments Commission for England and Wales: Secondment

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many of the staff seconded from his Department to the Judicial Appointments Commission are of  (a) senior leadership,  (b) policy and  (c) administrative support grades; whether staff who have been seconded to the Judicial Appointments Commission from his Department have maintained the same line management relationships with their existing managers; whether staff who have been seconded to the Judicial Appointments Commission from his Department may receive performance-related bonuses; what assessment he has made of the performance of the Judicial Appointments Commission; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: pursuant to the reply, 10 July 2007, Official Report, c. 1464-65W
	My officials have advised that I was given the incorrect data. As of 10 July, 70 staff were seconded from the Ministry of Justice, of those, 37 previously worked for the Lord Chancellor in this area, and 33 have not previously worked in this area.

Lancaster Farms Young Offender Institution: Civil Disorder

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the cost of the damage caused during the recent outbreak of disorder at Lancaster Farm young offender institution.

Maria Eagle: On 11 July 2007 at Lancaster Farm young offender institution a fight broke out between two groups of juveniles. The incident involved 16 young people and was resolved within 20 minutes. There was no damage to prison property and no costs were incurred.

Local Government: Electorate

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average electorate is for a single member  (a) district council ward,  (b) county council ward, ( c) unitary council ward,  (d) London borough ward and  (e) metropolitan council ward, in England.

Peter Viggers: I have been asked to reply.
	The Electoral Commission informs me that there are no metropolitan councils with single member wards, and there is only one single member ward in all the London boroughs, with an electorate as at December 2006 of 3,760. The average electorate sizes for single member district council, county council, and unitary council wards are as set out in the following table. District and unitary council averages are based on December 2006 electoral registers, and that for county councils on December 2004 electoral registers.
	
		
			  Council type  Average electorate for single-member electoral areas 
			 District council 1,713 
			 County council 7,818 
			 Unitary council 2,311 
			  Note: The Isle of Wight county council, which is a unitary county council, has been included in the county council figure.  Source: Local Government Chronicle Elections Centre, University of Plymouth.

Pornography: Children

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many children have been  (a) prosecuted,  (b) given custodial sentences and  (c) placed on the sex offenders register in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many people have been prosecuted for computer-based child pornography offences in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: The number of children aged 10 to 17 prosecuted, at magistrates courts, sentenced and given custodial sentences for all offences (all offences include sexual, other indictable and summary offences) in England and Wales for the years 2001 to 2005 can be viewed in table 1.
	The number of registered sex offenders in the community is published annually in the multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA) Annual Reports. The data are not broken down by the age of the offender.
	It is not possible to separately identify computer based child pornography offences from other offences related to child pornography.
	The number of persons prosecuted for offences relating to child pornography in England and Wales, for the years 2001 to 2005 can be viewed in table 2.
	Court proceedings data for 2006 will be available in the autumn of 2007.
	
		
			  Number of persons aged 10 to 17 proceeded against at magistrates court, sentenced and given custodial sentences for all offences in England and Wales for the years 2001 to 2005( 1, 2) 
			   Age 10-17 
			   Proceeded against  Sentenced  Of which: immediate custody 
			 2001 150,067 95,485 7,596 
			 2002 146,568 94,548 7,416 
			 2003 140,790 92,531 6,200 
			 2004 136,662 96,188 6,325 
			 2005 131,731 96,203 6,015 
			 (1 )These data are provided on the principal offence basis. (2 )Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: RDS—Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Ministry of Justice. 
		
	
	
		
			  The number of persons proceeded against at magistrates court for selected offences relating to child pornography in England and Wales, for the years 2001 to 2005( 1, 2) 
			  Statute  Offence description  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 Protection of Children Act 1978 Section 1 as amended by Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, Sec 84 & Criminal Justice & Court Services Act 2000 S.41(1). Take, permit to be taken, or to make distribute or publish indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children. 398 582 1,463 1,097 1,101 
			 Criminal Justice Act 1988 Sec. 160 as amended by the Criminal Justice & Court Services Act 2000, and Criminal Justice Act 1988 Sec. 160 as amended by the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, Secs.84(4) and 86(1). Possession of an indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph(3) 126 156 326 200 184 
			 Total  524 738 1,789 1,297 1,285 
			 (1 )These data are provided on the principal offence basis. (2 )Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3 )The following two separate statutes have been amalgamated for this table:  Criminal Justice Act 1988 Sec. 160 as amended by the Criminal Justice & Court Services Act 2000, and  Criminal Justice Act 1988 Sec. 160 as amended by the Criminal Justice & Public Order Act 1994, Secs.84(4) and 86(1).  Source:  RDS—Office for Criminal Justice reform—Ministry of Justice

Prisoners Transfers

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what  (a) prison service orders,  (b) prison service instructions and  (c) other written directions have been issued to (i) police, (ii) prison, (iii) court and (iv) transporting staff directing them not to detain prisoners in prisoner transport vehicles when awaiting or following court hearings.

Maria Eagle: No written instructions or directions have been issued in regard to the use of transport vehicles to hold prisoners awaiting or following court hearings. The National Offender Management Service have to date received no reports of prisoners being held on vehicles because cells are not available in courts.

Prisoners: Mentally Ill

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what percentage of prisoners held in prisons are prescribed medication for mental health-related reasons.

Maria Eagle: The information requested is not held centrally. Individual prison prescribing records would have to be checked to provide this information, which could be done only at a disproportionate cost.

Prisoners: Rehabilitation

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners who underwent treatment programmes for addiction in prison were referred to outside programmes on their release from prison in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: A comprehensive framework is in place to ensure the continuation of drug treatment on release from prison:
	prisons are fully engaged with the Home Office-led drug interventions programme; and
	for those released on licence, probation offender managers facilitate drug treatment within the sentence planning process.
	Information on the numbers engaged in prison treatment subsequently referred to community programmes is not held centrally.

Prisoners: Rehabilitation

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many of the prisoners released under the Government's early release scheme were undergoing treatment for drug or alcohol-related problems; and how many of those were required to continue such treatment outside prison as part of the terms of their early release.

David Hanson: Drug treatment can only be provided with consent and cannot therefore directly be made a condition of early release. Information on the number of prisoners undergoing treatment for drug problems at the time of release on end of custody licence is not held centrally. I will write to the hon. Member with the information and place a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.
	Information on those undergoing treatment for an alcohol problem is not collated.

Prisons: Construction

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the cost of providing an additional 10,000 prison places by 2012.

David Hanson: A new capacity-building programme which will deliver 8,000 new prison places by 2012 was announced by the Home Secretary in June 2006. A further 1,500 places were announced by the Lord Chancellor on 19 June 2007.
	Estimated capital costs for the 8,000 place programme are around £1.5 billion and estimated annual running costs are expected to be around £0.35 billion once the programme is completed. The costs of both programmes will be met using existing resources and new funds from the Treasury.

Prisons: Expenditure

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was spent on prisons in each of the last three years; and what estimate he has made of the cost for the next three years.

David Hanson: The total spend on prisons is shown in the following table. This includes spending by HMPS, contracted out prisons, and prisons-related spending met directly by the National Offender Management Service (NOMS). It excludes spending on juveniles which is met by the Youth Justice Board.
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2006-07 (1)2,461 
			 2005-06 2,250 
			 2004-05 2,069 
			 (1 )Subject to audit 
		
	
	The figures include (a) HM Prison Service net cash outflow(2) as recorded in its annual accounts, (b) spending on contracted prisons excluding non-cash items, and (c) for 2005-06 and 2006-07, a detailed estimate of spending on services which transferred from the Prison Service to NOMS centre (for example property costs) excluding non-cash items.
	The estimated spending in 2007-08, on the same basis, is £2,606 million. For subsequent years the budget on total prisons costs has not yet been formulated.
	(2 )The net cash outflow covers spending on pay and ongoing no pay items and excludes capital expenditure and non-cash accounting charges such as depreciation.

Young Offenders: Video Games

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) playstations (one or two) and  (b) Xboxes were purchased for inmates of young offender institutions (YOIs) in each of the last three years; and how much was spent on (i) Playstations (one or two) and (ii) Xboxes for YOIs in each of the last three years.

Maria Eagle: The information requested is contained in the table below. It is possible that additional purchases of these items could have been made on a local basis by individual prisons. This information is not held centrally and can only be gathered by contacting each young offender institution's financial records and this could be done only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  The number and cost of Playstations and Xboxes purchased for Offenders in public sector Young Offender Institutions between 2005 and 2008 
			   2005-06  2006-07 ( 1) 2007-08 
			  Playstations
			 Number purchased 45 84 42 
			 Amount spent (£) 4,841 9,218 4,767 
			  XBoxes 
			 Number purchased 0 15 0 
			 Amount spent (£) 0 1,672 0 
			 (1) Information correct as of 23 July 2007

HOME DEPARTMENT

Asylum

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average caseload is of an asylum case owner; and what the figure is in each regional asylum team.

Jacqui Smith: Regional asylum teams became fully operational from 5 March this year. Most started to take cases from November 2006. The caseload will include cases across the spectrum of the asylum process—including those who claimed last week and are yet to be interviewed, stretching through the appeals process to include those for whom preparations for removal are being made.
	In the same time frame, the average caseload per case worker per region is:
	
		
			   Caseload per case worker 
			 Central London 23 
			 West London 19 
			 Liverpool 23 
			 Leeds 23 
			 Solihull 24 
			 Cardiff 19 
			 Glasgow 21

Border and Immigration Agency: Immigration and Nationality Directorate

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what records  (a) are kept of the performance of the Border and Immigration Agency and  (b) were kept of the performance of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate, in processing incoming passengers at ports of entry;
	(2)  what the average time taken to process an incoming passenger through passport control at a port of entry to the UK was in each of the last five years, broken down by port of entry.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 23 July 2007
	The estimated number of international arrivals from outside the common travel area was 101.9 million in 2005 of which 11.8 million were non-EEA nationals.
	The Border and Immigration Agency do monitor queuing times closely. Passports of EEA nationals are checked with the minimum of delay and we aim to check passengers who are not EEA nationals within 45 minutes. Passengers using the Iris Recognition Immigration System (IRIS) can expect to cross the IRIS barrier within approximately 20 seconds. Further information on waiting times is available on:
	www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/comingtotheuk/enteringtheuk.

Community Policing: Great Yarmouth

Anthony D Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the impact of safer neighbourhood teams in Great Yarmouth.

Tony McNulty: The Home Office is monitoring and evaluating the neighbourhood policing programme across England and Wales through a strategic research programme. The results will be published in due course.
	The Home Office also continues to assess police performance, including the impact of neighbourhood policing, through the Police Performance Assessment Framework (PPAF). Inspections by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary also provide a qualitative assessment of neighbourhood policing delivery.

Community Support Officers: Cambridgeshire

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average length of employment as a police community support officer was of police community support officers employed in Cambridgeshire in each of the last three years.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is not collected centrally in the police personnel statistics.

Departments: Legislation

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criminal offences have been created by primary legislation sponsored by her Department since October 2006.

Jacqui Smith: Since October 2006, criminal offences were created in the following Acts sponsored by the Home Office:
	 (a) Police and Justice Act 2006
	Making supplying or obtaining articles for use in computer misuse offences (section 37)
	 (b) Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006
	Breach of a drinking banning order (section 11)
	Persistently selling alcohol to children (section 23)
	Using someone to mind a weapon (section 28)
	Selling air weapons unless a registered firearms dealer (section 31)
	Sale of air weapons by way of trade or business where the sale is not done face to face (section 32)
	Firing an air weapon beyond premises (section 34)
	Sale and purchase of primers (section 35)
	Manufacture, sale, importation of realistic imitation firearms (section 36)
	Non-compliance with specifications for imitation firearms (section 39)
	Sale/purchase of imitation firearms to/by minors (section 40)
	Sale and disposal of tickets for a designated football match by an unauthorised person (section 53)
	Both Acts also amended some existing offences in certain respects.

DNA Database

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 26 April 2007 to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Hallam,  Official Report, column 1234W, on the DNA Database, 
	(1)  on how many occasions a positive match against one of the individuals recorded in the database has been made in relation to a police investigation in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what records are kept of positive matches located in a search of the National DNA Database;
	(3)  how many searches were made of the National DNA database in each of the last five years; and how many resulted in  (a) a match,  (b) a familial match and  (c) a sanction detection;
	(4)  how many offences were detected through a DNA match with an individual whose DNA was taken in a no further action arrest in each of the last five years.

Jacqui Smith: The purpose of the National DNA Database (NDNAD) is to hold a record of a person's DNA which can be matched against DNA taken from crime scenes. The NDNAD only reports matches between DNA profile records based on DNA profile compatibility, and sends them to police forces for the use in an investigation. It does not hold data on arrests, charges and convictions. Such information is held on the Police National Computer (PNC).
	The NDNAD does not hold data on reported matches and their outcomes (sanction detections). Obtaining this information would require cross-searching of records held on the PNC against the NDNAD, and then contacting each police force that received the DNA match to ascertain the outcome. This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	It is not possible to provide details of the number of searches made of the National DNA Database (NDNAD) in each of the last five years. Each time a subject or crime stain profile is loaded onto the NDNAD it is searched against all the retained profiles. No record has been kept of the number of searches but thousands of these searches are made of the NDNAD every day.
	In the last five years the following matches have been recorded:
	
		
			  (i) Matches where a crime scene was linked with one or more subjects 
			   Number 
			 2006-07 42,208 
			 2005-06 44,611 
			 2004-05 40,879 
			 2003-04 39,335 
			 2002-03 43,904 
		
	
	
		
			  (ii) Matches where a crime scene was linked to another crime scene 
			   Number 
			 2006-07 3,349 
			 2005-06 4,237 
			 2004-05 4,349 
			 2003-04 2,816 
			 2002-03 3,258

Drugs: Crime

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what quantity of illegal drugs was seized by the police in  (a) 1997 and  (b) the most recent year for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: The latest available data on drug seizures is for 2004 and can be found in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin series "Seizures of Drugs, England and Wales 2004". The quantities seized by the police in England and Wales, for 1997 and 2004, for each drug are shown in the table attached.
	The quantities of LSD and ecstasy-type drugs (including MDMA) seized have been listed in thousands of doses seized rather than as a weight. In 2004 the seized LSD quantity was published in number of doses; this answer gives seized LSD quantities in thousands of doses.
	Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces and HM Revenue and Customs. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.
	
		
			  Table S3 Quantity of seizures of Class A, B and C drugs made by police( 1)  by drug type and year, England and Wales, 1997 and 2004 
			   Quantity( 2)  of seizures 
			  Drug type  1997  2004 
			 Class A   
			 Cocaine 270 1,270 
			 Crack 30 130 
			 Heroin 420 1,130 
			 LSD(2) 40 6(3) 
			 Ecstasy-type(2) 360 1,680 
			 Methadone 110 60 
			 Morphine 0 0 
			 Other Class A 0 10 
			
			  Class B   
			 Amphetamines 570 930 
			 Barbiturates — — 
			 Cannabis (herbal)(4) 8,180 * 
			 Cannabis plants (2, 4) 77,570 * 
			 Cannabis resin (4) 60,790 * 
			 Other Class B 0 — 
			
			  Class C   
			 Benzodiazepines 0 0 
			 Cannabis (herbal) ) * 2,790 
			 Cannabis plants(2, 4) * 88,670 
			 Cannabis resin(4) * 21,680 
			 Temazepam 0 — 
			 Anabolic steroids 10 0 
			 GHB * 0 
			 Other Class C 0 0 
			 (1) Seizures from joint operations involving HM Revenue and Customs and the police are generally recorded against HM Revenue and Customs.  (2) Drugs are seized in a variety of forms but where possible, for the purpose of this table, amounts have been converted to weights (kg), except for seizures of LSD and Ecstasy-type which are given in thousands of doses. Cannabis plants are given in thousands of plants. Seizures of unspecified quantities are not included.  (3) Published as 6190 doses  (4) From January 2004, Cannabis was reclassified from a class B to a class C drug.   Notes:  1. MDMA prior to 1996.  2. Seizures from joint operations involving HM Revenue and Customs and the police are generally recorded against HM Revenue and Customs.

Drugs: Misuse

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the reasons were for the reduction in the Young People Substance Misuse Grant in 2007-08; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: In addition to mainstream funding, the Government have committed £55 million of ringfenced funding in 2007-08 to support work on reducing young people's drug use through the Young People's Substance Misuse Partnership Grant. This grant is pooled centrally across Departments, administered by the Home Office and paid to local areas. The change in the grant allocation in 2007-08 is primarily due to a reduction of £4 million in the Department of Health's Targeted Prevention Funding. The Department of Health had made a time-limited commitment to this funding, which was not renewed after the transfer of responsibility for drug education and prevention to the Department for Education and Skills. A further £2.6 million reduction was because the Home Office had increased its contribution, by way of a one-off subsidy in 2006-07, to help mitigate a similar reduction of £4 million by the Department of Health in that year.

Fraud: Credit Cards

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  in how many cases in which credit card fraud is alleged in respect of suspects identified during Operation Ore had such suspects previously reported fraud or theft;
	(2)  how many suspects identified as part of Operation Ore who are claiming credit card fraud are  (a) men and  (b) women.

Vernon Coaker: This information is not held centrally.

Fraud: East Sussex

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of  (a) identity and  (b) online fraud were recorded in (i) Eastbourne and (ii) East Sussex in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is not available centrally. The use of another person's identification details (or the use of false identification details), often referred to as identity theft, is not in itself an offence in law. It is the action that is undertaken using those identification details that needs to be considered in respect of whether an offence has occurred and should be recorded.
	With regard to online fraud, this is not a separately defined offence in law and such instances will be recorded under the appropriate fraud classification depending on the circumstances of the offence.

Missing Persons

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the direct financial contribution from her Department was to the Police National Missing Persons Bureau in 2006-07; and what the equivalent allocation is for 2007-08.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 24 July 2007
	No contribution was made to the Police National Missing Persons Bureau in 2006-07. We are proposing to provide a financial contribution in 2008-09 and will be confirming this shortly.

Passports

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of passport applications were rejected in each of the last five years, broken down by  (a) ethnicity of applicant,  (b) reason for rejection and  (c) processing office.

Jacqui Smith: The percentage of passport applications rejected in each of the last five years, broken down by office and reason for rejection are set out as follows. The statistics available show only the breakdown between those applications which failed on nationality grounds and those rejected for other reasons. Breakdown by ethnicity is not available.
	The passport examination process is designed to confirm the nationality and identity of the intended passport holder and, where required, that consent has been provided. If the Identity and Passport Service does not receive the necessary supporting documentation to confirm the aforementioned, or is unable to verify the application details through examining procedures, it is unable to issue a passport. The 'other reasons' category covers these circumstances and also where the customer requests the application to be withdrawn.
	The London office primarily handles applications submitted through its public counters, where the application is checked for completeness before being accepted for processing. Incomplete applications are not accepted. This reduces the number of rejections.
	
		
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			  Belfast  
			 Other reasons 1,468 1,461 1,611 2,029 2,350 
			 Nationality grounds 1 210 236 199 255 
			 Percentage Passport rejected 0.59 0.57 0.62 0.58 0.73 
			   
			  Durham  
			 Other reasons 4,933 5,872 7,527 9,488 9,622 
			 Nationality grounds 798 997 1,153 1,615 1,585 
			 Percentage Passport rejected 0.45 0.47 0.50 0.51 0.55 
			   
			  Glasgow  
			 Other reasons 3,010 2,720 2,863 3,252 2,934 
			 Nationality grounds 223 246 307 329 296 
			 Percentage Passport rejected 0.58 0.50 0.52 0.64 0.59 
			   
			  Liverpool  
			 Other reasons 3,332 3,524 4,214 5,229 5,930 
			 Nationality grounds 432 433 473 884 1,055 
			 Percentage Passport rejected 0.42 0.44 0.46 0.42 0.46 
			   
			  London  
			 Other reasons 936 613 350 561 447 
			 Nationality grounds 1 4 1 0 1 
			 Percentage Passport rejected 0.53 0.31 0.17 0.22 0.19 
			   
			  Newport  
			 Other reasons 4,813 4,811 4,870 5,671 4,190 
			 Nationality grounds 405 531 637 733 672 
			 Percentage Passport rejected 0.50 0.51 0.50 0.62 0.60 
			   
			  Peterborough  
			 Other reasons 6,994 8,912 6,756 6,667 6,823 
			 Nationality grounds 2,785 3,279 3,096 2,428 2,091 
			 Percentage Passport rejected 0.84 0.95 0.89 0.93 1.03 
			   
			  Total  
			 Other reasons 25,486 27,913 28,191 32,897 32,296 
			 Nationality grounds 4,645 5,700 5,903 6,188 5,955 
			 Percentage Passport rejected 0.56 0.58 0.56 0.57 0.60

Passports

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of passport applications sent through the Check and Send service were rejected in each of the last five years.

Jacqui Smith: We only hold data on Check and Send (Partner) applications rejected for the last financial year.
	In the financial year 2006-07, 10,900 or 0.38 per cent. of the total applications received through Check and Send services (Partner) were rejected (withdrawn and failed cases).

Passports: Biometrics

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the time taken to verify  (a) a biometric passport and  (b) a non-biometric passport at passport control (i) prior to and (ii) after the introduction of biometric-capability passport readers.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 23 July 2007
	The new scanners are able to automatically read more data from passports and other travel documents than the old swipe system, which means that fewer details have to be input manually and improved security and fraud checks can be undertaken. They are also able to read the new biometric chips, providing immigration officers with an additional tool to combat identity fraud.
	It is critical to the security of the United Kingdom that we verify the identity of all those who seek to enter the country. While allowing most passengers into the United Kingdom quickly, thorough checks are necessary to turn away those who present a risk to the public and to prevent illegal immigration.

Police: East Sussex

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crime scene investigators are in post in each police force in East Sussex; and what percentage of those are civilians.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for the chief constable of Sussex police.

Police: Road Traffic Control

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of police officers were dedicated traffic police officers in each year since 1999, broken down by region.

Tony McNulty: The available data are for the number of full-time equivalent police officers primarily employed in the function "traffic".
	The data are available at police force region level from 2002-03 onwards and are given in the following table:
	
		
			  Police officers (FTE)( 1)  whose main function( 2)  is 'Traffic' broken down by region from 31 March 2002 to 31 March 2006 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 North East 419 445 275 333 
			 North West 1,030 1,008 966 873 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 775 698 776 762 
			 East Midlands 385 497 495 494 
			 West Midlands 829 672 661 642 
			 Eastern 739 765 756 763 
			 London 607 616 1,057 627 
			 South East 882 778 881 852 
			 South West 650 668 681 596 
			 Wales 587 559 556 569 
			 (1) This and other tables contain full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Figures include those officers on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. (2) Staff with multiple responsibilities (or designations) are recorded under their primary role or function. The traffic function includes staff who are predominantly employed on motorcycles or in patrol vehicles for the policing of traffic and motorway related duties. This does not include officers employed in accident investigation, vehicle examination and radar duties.

Serious Organised Crime Agency: Labour Turnover

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people who transferred to the Serious Organised Crime Agency as sworn constables left the agency in each month since its formation; and what proportion this is of the number of  (a) sworn constable staff and  (b) staff.

Jacqui Smith: Since 1 April 2006, 78 sworn constables have left SOCA. This number includes 11 who remained as secondees in SOCA rather than accept SOCA terms and conditions and who have returned to their home force on conclusion of their secondment.
	The following table gives details on a monthly basis against  (a) those holding powers of a constable, and  (b) all staff in SOCA.
	
		
			  Month left  Numbers of former police officers directly employed at 1 April 2006 leaving each month  Constables leaving each month as percentage of constables at start  Constables leaving each month as percentage of total direct employees at start (4069) 
			 July 2006 2 0.18 0.05 
			 August 2006 2 0.18 0.05 
			 September 2006 5 0.44 0.12 
			 October 2006 3 0.26 0.07 
			 November 2006 4 0.35 0.10 
			 December 2006 4 0.35 0.10 
			 January 2007 9 0.79 0.22 
			 February 2007 6 0.53 0.15 
			 March 2007 9 0.79 0.22 
			 April 2007 9 0.79 0.22 
			 May 2007 10 0.88 0.25 
			 June 2007 8 0.70 0.20 
			 July 2007 6 0.53 0.15 
			 August 2007 1 0.09 0.02 
			 Total 78 6.80 1.90

Speed Limits: Fines

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were fined for speeding in each of the last five years, broken down by police force area.

Vernon Coaker: Information on the number of people fined for speeding from 2000 to 2004, broken down by police force area, is provided in the following table.
	Data for 2005 will be available from autumn 2007.
	
		
			  Number of court imposed fines( 1)  at magistrates courts( 2)  and fixed penalty notices issued( 3)  for speed limit offences( 4) , by police force area, England and Wales , 2000- 04 
			   2000  2001  2002 
			  Police force area  Court imposed fine  Fixed penalty notices issued( 3)  Court imposed fine  Fixed penalty notices issued( 3)  Court imposed fine  Fixed penalty notices issued( 3) 
			 Avon and Somerset 4,344 36,122 5,709 30,339 4,974 53,846 
			 Bedfordshire 2,019 16,707 2,332 13,415 1,551 40,338 
			 Cambridgeshire 1,625 8,708 756 6,777 521 15,435 
			 Cheshire 4,591 15,356 3,899 16,694 3,969 13,578 
			 Cleveland 984 23,228 1,323 24,160 1,120 25,264 
			 Cumbria 1,521 4,103 1,548 3,649 1,604 5,797 
			 Derbyshire 4,933 18,291 6,005 24,949 3,685 71,965 
			 Devon and Cornwall 4,247 28,091 3,809 33,389 3,415 31,144 
			 Dorset 1,213 18,305 902 19,605 999 18,686 
			 Durham 1,364 9,180 1,749 14,156 1,603 7,697 
			 Essex 6,275 (5)56,010 9,131 (5)87,038 14,570 (5)101,063 
			 Gloucestershire 2,131 5,781 1,835 4,097 877 3,898 
			 Greater Manchester 14,505 59,765 10,375 50,448 7,182 35,861 
			 Hampshire 5,995 27,566 5,416 28,995 4,949 31,867 
			 Hertfordshire 2,277 23,956 2,088 23,474 2,334 23,203 
			 Humberside 1,906 22,209 2,434 17,228 1,131 13,399 
			 Kent 2,245 24,617 2,367 23,044 1,670 36,645 
			 Lancashire 5,166 29,683 4,370 27,993 3,833 158,163 
			 Leicestershire 2,001 8,094 1,750 7,750 1,726 17,903 
			 Lincolnshire 3,528 26,319 4,131 31,487 3,692 27,490 
			 London, City of 163 353 101 713 560 4,782 
			 Merseyside 1,322 7,385 635 4,100 579 6,484 
			 Metropolitan Police 8,269 54,843 8,840 58,412 7,530 53,334 
			 Norfolk 1,374 4,783 1,449 5,166 1,269 17,116 
			 Northamptonshire 246 (5)34,809 403 79,627 222 60,459 
			 Northumbria 3,519 24,265 2,352 40,726 2,555 41,050 
			 North Yorkshire 1,208 5,295 1,412 7,436 1,236 5,412 
			 Nottinghamshire 1,332 23,766 1,707 24,556 2,025 35,771 
			 South Yorkshire 2,484 20,987 2,587 21,566 1,776 16,096 
			 Staffordshire 1,815 13,969 929 20,372 1,091 29,094 
			 Suffolk 1,210 12,596 1,236 12,416 1,266 9,477 
			 Surrey 2,911 12,072 3,457 10,424 2,005 6,052 
			 Sussex 3,492 24,990 2,619 18,513 1,745 23,550 
			 Thames Valley 7,801 71,888 9,190 154,524 10,989 121,677 
			 Warwickshire 4,636 2,099 3,624 3,136 1,743 14,999 
			 West Mercia 2,696 22,150 2,586 30,504 2,214 29,098 
			 West Midlands 3,455 5,668 3,949 15,806 4,706 17,762 
			 West Yorkshire 5,619 24,595 4,442 20,937 2,295 32,126 
			 Wiltshire 2,301 16,351 2,163 17,941 2,678 27,975 
			 Dyfed-Powys 913 8,840 650 6,868 614 12,343 
			 Gwent 4,036 16,518 2,813 13,209 2,238 2,960 
			 North Wales 2,810 16,980 2,655 20,245 3,834 44,459 
			 South Wales 2,706 54,383 1,754 75,224 1,980 61,948 
			 England and Wales 139,188 (5)941,676 133,482 (5)1,151,108 122,555 (5)1,407,266 
		
	
	
		
			   2003  2004 
			  Police force area  Court imposed fine  Fixed penalty notices issued( 3)  Court imposed fine  Fixed penalty notices issued( 3) 
			 Avon and Somerset 6,815 99,405 6,923 85,331 
			 Bedfordshire 3,521 66,709 1,171 56,762 
			 Cambridgeshire 1,163 28,510 1,754 19,802 
			 Cheshire 3,088 29,564 4,153 40,306 
			 Cleveland 1,282 24,729 1,665 19,939 
			 Cumbria 2,002 24,692 2,366 31,531 
			 Derbyshire 3,527 (5)44,517 3,329 44,412 
			 Devon and Cornwall 4,862 63,916 4,869 91,662 
			 Dorset 1,486 63,185 1,666 71,832 
			 Durham 1,042 6,538 716 4,184 
			 Essex 9,263 66,281 8,292 68,852 
			 Gloucestershire 800 3,139 786 4,913 
			 Greater Manchester 6,265 44,903 4,745 43,531 
			 Hampshire 5,270 45,324 4,237 52,587 
			 Hertfordshire 2,167 28,696 1,806 61,637 
			 Humberside 1,179 25,755 3,592 52,288 
			 Kent 2,995 54,594 3,223 66,661 
			 Lancashire 6,759 (5)96,660 5,030 63,233 
			 Leicestershire 3,036 45,417 2,173 26,357 
			 Lincolnshire 4,257 27,970 4,356 29,258 
			 London, City of 1,137 4,864 1,790 6,358 
			 Merseyside 911 8,883 893 8,058 
			 Metropolitan Police 7,080 80,213 6,646 104,920 
			 Norfolk 2,372 31,640 2,764 26,938 
			 Northamptonshire 2,836 49,902 4,001 49,108 
			 Northumbria 2,207 69,018 3,770 94,319 
			 North Yorkshire 1,515 5,836 2,034 5,971 
			 Nottinghamshire 3,780 53,276 4,146 53,188 
			 South Yorkshire 1,181 51,418 2,584 42,635 
			 Staffordshire 2,220 47,565 4,449 41,249 
			 Suffolk 763 16,606 1,820 40,847 
			 Surrey 1,493 7,057 279 8,200 
			 Sussex 2,783 60,364 247 45,619 
			 Thames Valley 9,339 123,586 8,862 92,834 
			 Warwickshire 2,323 27,737 1,707 34,206 
			 West Mercia 1,320 78,408 383 57,844 
			 West Midlands 5,069 43,542 7,362 58,052 
			 West Yorkshire 3,349 70,011 4,263 68,827 
			 Wiltshire 4,037 42,738 4,022 50,641 
			 Dyfed-Powys 1,548 3,072 1,231 2,221 
			 Gwent 2,645 1,013 2,270 859 
			 North Wales 4,319 (5)61,645 4,597 51,069 
			 South Wales 2,924 65,852 4,146 45,343 
			 England and Wales 137,930 (5)1,894,750 141,118 1,924,384 
			 (1) May include cases where fixed penalty was issued and not paid and consequently taken to court. (2) Magistrates courts data only. Fines given at the Crown Court total nationally (England and Wales) less than 10 each year. (3) Covers tickets paid where there is no further action. (4) Offences under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 ss. 16, 81, 84, 86, 88 & 89; Motor Vehicles (Speed Limits on Motorways) Regs. 1973; Parks Regulation (Amendment) Act 1926—byelaws made thereunder. (5) Revised since initial publication in the annual Bulletin.  Notes: 1. It is known that for some police force areas, the reporting of court proceedings in particular those relating to summary motoring offences, may be less than complete. Work is underway to ensure that the magistrates courts case management system currently being implemented by the Ministry of Justice reports all motoring offences to the Office for Criminal Justice Reform. This will enable more complete figures to be disseminated. 2. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Support Orders

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 25 January 2007,  Official Report, column 2029W, on support orders, if she will place in the Library the results of the three month survey of 50 respect action areas to assess the use of individual support orders.

Vernon Coaker: The survey has been extended to allow further data to be received. The results are due to be published on the Home Office website and a copy will be placed in the Library in the next few months. In the meantime, we are continuing to work with Her Majesty's Court Service and the Youth Justice Board to ensure that young people on antisocial behaviour orders receive support in addressing their antisocial behaviour.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Departments: Legislation

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which Bills introduced by his Department in the last five years contained sunset clauses; and what plans he has for the future use of such clauses.

Edward Miliband: No bills introduced by the Cabinet Office in the last five years contained sunset clauses. The appropriateness of a sunset clause for the whole or part of any proposed legislation is considered on a case-by-case basis. It is also addressed when a regulatory impact assessment relating to legislation is being prepared.

Departments: Written Questions

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  what role his Department plays in providing  (a) guidance and  (b) assistance to other departments on the provision of answers to written parliamentary questions;
	(2)  where, at what point and by whom the decision is taken to recommend to Ministers that an identical answer might be provided when similar written parliamentary questions are tabled to different departments.

Edward Miliband: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that the then Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Hilary Armstrong) gave the hon. Member for Southend, West (Mr. Amess) on 11 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1825W.

Duchy of Lancaster: Finance

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the disbursement from the surplus of the Duchy of Lancaster to the Queen was in each year from 1979.

Edward Miliband: The information requested is available in the Libraries of the House for the reference of Members.

Ministerial Policy Advisers: Standards

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 16 July 2007,  Official Report, column 36W, on ministerial policy advisers: standards, whether the code will be published within the next two months.

Edward Miliband: It will be published as soon as possible.

Official Residences: Official Hospitality

Richard Spring: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much has been spent on entertainment from the public purse at  (a) One Carlton Gardens,  (b) Chevening,  (c) Admiralty House,  (d) Hillsborough Castle and  (e) the Lord Chancellor's apartments since 27 June 2007.

Edward Miliband: Guidance relating to Ministers' use of official residences is set out in Sections 6.2 and 7.10 the "Ministerial Code". The detailed information requested is not held centrally. Expenditure on official entertainment is the responsibility of the relevant department.

Public Appointments: Pay

Richard Spring: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster who has been appointed to the board of a public body since 27 July 2007; and on what salary in each case.

Edward Miliband: Individual departments publish information annually on appointments to the public bodies for which they are responsible, including information on remuneration. Data for 2006-07 is in the process of being published by departments alongside the publication of departmental reports.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Prison Staff: Religious Affiliation

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportion of  (a) prison officers and  (b) other prison service staff in Northern Ireland are from each religion or community in Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: At 1 April 2007 within the NIPS the composition of prison service grades was 80.1 per cent. Protestant, 8.4 per cent. Roman Catholic and 11.5 per cent. non-determined. For non-prison service grades the composition was 75.3 per cent. Protestant, 22.9 per cent. Roman Catholic and 1.8 per cent. non-determined.

Historical Inquiries

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the cost of the ongoing historical inquiries in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the total cost to the public purse of work on historical inquiries in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: I refer the hon. Gentlemen to the answer I gave earlier to the hon. Members for Forest of Dean (Mr. Harper), Bracknell (Mr. Mackay) and for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill).

Dissident Republican Groups

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment he has made of the security threat posed by dissident republican groups.

Shaun Woodward: As the 15th IMC report shows, dissident republicans, although isolated and few in number, continue to engage in terrorist activities and remain a threat to the security situation.

Saville Inquiry

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been spent on the Saville inquiry.

Shaun Woodward: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave earlier to the hon. Members for Forest of Dean (Mr. Harper), and for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) and the right hon Member for Bracknell (Mr. Mackay).

Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent representations he has received on the application of the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006.

Paul Goggins: I have received no representations on the application of these regulations, the responsibility for which now rests with the Northern Ireland Executive.

Parades Commission

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish the findings of the Review of the Parades Commission.

Shaun Woodward: The work of the Strategic Review of Parading, chaired by Lord Ashdown, is under way, and is due to report in early 2008. This review aims to find a settled cross-community view on the issue of parading.

Parades

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the policing of 12 July parades in 2007.

Paul Goggins: It is encouraging to note that for the second consecutive year the PSNI policed the 12 July parades without the need for soldiers to be deployed on the ground.

TREASURY

11 Downing Street: Charities

David Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 25 June 2007,  Official Report, column 361W, on 11 Downing street: charities, on how many occasions each of those charities has used 11 Downing street.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 3 July 2007
	Charities can apply for extended use of number 11 Downing street if they so wish and subject to availability. I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer my hon. Friend gave on 1 February 2007,  Official Report, column 412W, on 8 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1133W and 16 May 2007,  Official Report, column 758W.

Departments: Air Conditioning

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was spent by his Department and its agencies on the hire of mobile air conditioning units in each of the last five years.

Angela Eagle: The following table presents the costs to HMT and its agencies as can be obtained from information held centrally:
	
		
			  £ 
			  Department/agency  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 HM Treasury 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Debt Management Office 0 0 0 3,892 0 
			 Office of Government Commerce 0 0 0 0 0 
			  Note: VAT is included in the figures unless stated otherwise.

Departments: Rural Areas

James Paice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Treasury achievement targets take account of rural proofing.

Andy Burnham: The Treasury undertakes rural proofing, where applicable, in its policy development, in line with Green Book guidance (see chapter 2, paragraph 25 which states: "Rural issues—the Government is committed to ensuring that all its policies take account of specific rural circumstances. Appraisers should assess whether proposals are likely to have a different impact in rural areas from elsewhere."). HM Treasury has 10 public service agreement (PSA) targets set under the 2004 spending review. The relevant policies underlying these targets have been rural proofed.

Departments: Visits Abroad

Theresa May: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many overseas visits were made by  (a) officials and  (b) Ministers within his responsibility, and at what cost, in each year since 1997.

Angela Eagle: In 2006-07, travel and subsistence costs for the Treasury were £1,881,000. Further detail relating to the number of visits could be provided only at disproportionate cost. In respect of total costs for earlier years, I refer to the answer given by the then Financial Secretary (John Healey) to the hon. Member for Shipley (Philip Davies) on 12 June 2006,  Official Report, column 926W.
	Since 1999, the Government have published on an annual basis a list of all overseas visits by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of £500, as well as the total cost of all ministerial travel overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. Information for 2006-07 is currently being compiled and will be published before the summer recess. All travel is undertaken in accordance with the civil service management code and the ministerial code.

EC Internal Trade

Keith Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions representatives of HM Revenue and Customs have had with the European Commission on cross-border shopping.

Angela Eagle: HM Revenue and Customs have had no recent discussions with the European Commission on cross-border shopping. In October 2001, the European Commission launched infraction proceedings against the UK concerning its policy in relation to seizures and sanctions for smuggling of excise goods. Between then and March 2006, when the Commission closed these infraction proceedings, a number of meetings were held between representatives of HM Revenue and Customs and Commission officials to discuss this issue.

Housing: Low Incomes

Alistair Burt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of the case for a tariff system in place of section 106 agreements and planning gain supplement.

Angela Eagle: In his statement on the third session draft legislative programme on 11 July 2007, the Prime Minister said that the Planning-gain Supplement Bill is provisional within that programme because if, prior to the pre-Budget report, a better way is identified of ensuring that local communities receive significantly more of the benefit from planning gain, including to invest in necessary infrastructure and transport, and it is demonstrated that it is a better alternative, the Government will be prepared to defer next session's legislation.
	The Housing Green Paper published on 23 July 2007 says that PCS remains the Government's preferred option but lists the main alternative approaches, including those which have been raised by stakeholders.
	These approaches set out in the Green Paper will form the basis for discussions with key stakeholders prior to the pre-Budget report.

OECD: Israel

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will make it his policy to support the application of Israel to join the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); what discussions he has had with the OECD about the issue; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what discussions  (a) he and  (b) Ministers and officials from his Department have had with the Government of Israel on its application to join the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what discussions  (a) he and  (b) Ministers and officials from his Department have had with the US Administration on the application of Israel to join the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; and if he will make a statement.

Kitty Ussher: The UK supported the OECD decision, taken by consensus, that Israel, along with Chile, Estonia, Russia and Slovenia, should start accession negotiations with the OECD. Roadmaps for the accession processes are being prepared by the Secretary General for the OECD Council approval. These will set out the terms and conditions that will be required of each individual candidate country before their accession can take place. The FCO leads on the OECD for Her Majesty's Government.
	Treasury Ministers and officials discuss a wide range of issues with their counterparts in the OECD and accession countries as part of the process of policy analysis, development and delivery.

Revenue and Customs: ICT

Alistair Burt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what access HM Revenue and Customs has to the Valuation Office Agency's  (a) Automated Valuation Model and  (b) property databases to assist it in its statutory functions.

Jane Kennedy: HM Revenue and Customs staff have no direct access to the Valuation Office Agency's  (a) Automated Valuation Model or  (b) property databases.

Tax Allowances

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what his most recent estimate is of the costs of making the personal allowance transferable between couples; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the total financial effect on  (a) married couples with children and  (b) married couples without children of making the personal allowance transferable; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the proportion of individuals who are married who would benefit from a transferable personal tax allowance; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: Due to the complex nature of this question the following estimates should be treated with caution. These estimates exclude any behavioural response to the change, which could be significant given the magnitude of the change.
	The most recent estimate of the costs of making the personal allowance transferable between all couples, married and unmarried, is approximately £4.1 billion in 2007-08.
	The cost for married couples with children of making the personal allowance transferable is estimated to be around £1.5 billion in 2007-08. The cost for married couples without children of making the personal allowance transferable is estimated to be around £1.9 billion in 2007-08. It is estimated that 38 per cent. of married couples would benefit from a transferable tax allowance in 2007-08.
	The estimates were calculated using the Department's tax and benefit model (IGOTM) based on data from the Family Resources Survey.

Valuation Office: ICT

Alistair Burt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how much the Valuation Office Agency has spent on  (a) network support offices and  (b) data capture centres;
	(2)  what the addresses are of the Valuation Office Agency's  (a) network support offices and  (b) data capture centres.

Jane Kennedy: The Valuation Office Agency has two operational units which provide dedicated general administrative support to its network of offices across England and Wales. They were originally established as data capture centres but are now network support offices. The Agency's published annual accounts report only the total costs of its operations—attributions to individual units are not made and could not be undertaken at reasonable cost.
	The addresses of the Valuation Office Agency's network support offices are:
	Plymouth Network Support Office
	Valuation Office Agency
	190 Armada Way
	Plymouth
	PL1 1EG
	Halifax Network Support Office
	Valuation Office Agency
	Crown House
	60 Crown Street
	Halifax
	West Yorkshire
	HX1 1HY

Valuation Office: Manuals

Alistair Burt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the Valuation Office Agency's Referencing Manual.

Jane Kennedy: A copy of the Valuation Office Agency's Referencing Manual has been placed in the Library.

Valuation Office: Training

Alistair Burt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the Valuation Office Agency's Training Events Catalogue.

Jane Kennedy: The Training and Events Catalogue is held in linked electronic formats within the Valuation Office Agency's main IT systems and can only be viewed with full functionality through the appropriate software package. To provide a copy of the catalogue and attached documents could be done only at disproportionate cost.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Bankruptcy

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment was made of the likely impact of fast-track voluntary arrangements on the level of annulled bankruptcies in preparing the regulatory impact assessment for the Enterprise Act 2002; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: The Regulatory Impact Assessment for the Enterprise Act 2002 makes no reference to the likely impact of fast-track voluntary arrangements on the level of annulled bankruptcies.

Bankruptcy

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment has been made of the impact of fast-track voluntary arrangements for bankruptcy; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: The Insolvency Service is undertaking a comprehensive evaluation of the Enterprise Act 2002 insolvency provisions, overseen by an evaluation group of independent stakeholders. The final evaluation report on the individual insolvency provisions of the Enterprise Act 2002 is due to be published in autumn 2007.

Bankruptcy: Fee and Charges

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many complaints were received by the Insolvency Service in each year since 2002; how many of these complaints related to the fees charged by insolvency practitioners acting as trustees in individual bankruptcy cases; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: The main function of the Insolvency Service is to administer individual bankruptcies and companies wound up by the court. Complaints received by the Insolvency Service mainly relate to those activities. The Insolvency Service's financial year runs from 1 April to 31 March, details of complaints received for the years 2002-03 to 2005-06 are set out as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2002-03 462 
			 2003-04 370 
			 2004-05 372 
			 2005-06 428 
		
	
	Complaints about insolvency practitioners are directed to the appropriate authorising body where the insolvency practitioner is not authorised by the Secretary of State.
	The Insolvency Service does not maintain specific data for complaints relating to the fees charged by insolvency practitioners acting as trustees in individual bankruptcy cases.
	The primary responsibility for agreeing an office holder's remuneration rests with the creditors and there are legislative provisions that enable the court to consider challenges to the amount of remuneration charged or allowed. As the legislation provides for such an appeal process I am unable to consider such complaints.

Business: Islwyn

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  how many residents of Islwyn constituency started their own business in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many VAT registrations there were in Islwyn constituency in each of the last five years.

Stephen Timms: The number of VAT registrations in the Islwyn parliamentary constituency is shown as follows for 2001 to 2005. Data for 2006 will be published in autumn 2007.
	
		
			  VAT registrations ,  Islwyn parliamentary constituency 
			   Number 
			 2001 85 
			 2002 95 
			 2003 130 
			 2004 115 
			 2005 100 
			  Source: Business Start-ups and Closures: VAT Registrations and De-registrations 1994-2005. Available at http://stats.berr.gov.uk/smes/vat 
		
	
	Although the number of new registrations has fluctuated over the period, the total number of VAT registered businesses in Islwyn parliamentary constituency has increased from 1,005 in 2001 to 1,110 at the start of 2006, an increase of 105 (10 per cent.).
	VAT registration data provides the only accurate indicator of the level of start-up activity at the constituency level.
	However, VAT registrations do not capture all business activity. Businesses are unlikely to be registered if they fall below the compulsory VAT threshold, which was 60,000 at the start of 2006. Only 1.8 million out of 4.3 million UK enterprises (42 per cent.) were registered for VAT at the start of 2005.

Business: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many businesses there are in York; how many there were in 1997; and how many businesses have  (a) started and  (b) ceased trading in York since 1997.

Stephen Timms: Estimates of the total business population, which includes businesses with a turnover above and below the VAT threshold, are not produced below the regional level. However, data on the total number of VAT registered businesses, and the number of businesses registering and de-registering for VAT each year, in each UK constituency are published by BERR. Data is available at:
	http://stats.berr.gov.uk/smes/vat
	There were 2,085 VAT registered businesses in the City of York constituency at the start of 1997. At the start of 2006 there were 2,495 VAT registered businesses, a rise of 410 (20 per cent.) over the period.
	Between 1997 and 2005 (inclusive) there were 2,125 new VAT registrations and 1,720 VAT de-registrations in the City of York constituency.
	Registration and de-registration data for 2006, and stock data for the start of 2007, will be published in autumn 2007.
	VAT registrations do not capture all business activity. Businesses are unlikely to be registered if they fall below the compulsory VAT threshold, which was 60,000 at the start of 2006. Similarly, businesses that de-register may not have closed. Only 1.8 million out of 4.3 million UK enterprises (42 per cent.) were registered for VAT at the start of 2005.

Children: Protection

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 17 July 2007,  Official Report, column 264W, on children: protection, what steps the Government plan to take before the implementation of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 in autumn 2008 to prevent known paedophiles from opening a children's agency specialising in theatre, television and modelling.

Patrick McFadden: Under the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000 it is an offence to knowingly offer work to or to employ a person in a child care position if they are disqualified from working with children either by virtue of being included on one of the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families Lists (the Protection of Children Act (PoCA) List or its equivalent in Scotland or List 99) or a disqualification order from the court. Individuals who apply or offer to work, accept work or continue to work with children in such positions will be committing a criminal offence and can face prosecution if they are disqualified from working with children.
	The extent to which those running a children's agency specialising in theatre, television and modelling would be covered by the PoCA regulations would depend on the nature of their actual work. However, if a person is deemed to be caring for children under 16 in the course of the children's employment they would be in a regulated position and therefore covered by PoCA.

Departments: Sick Leave

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what percentage of sick leave taken by staff in his Department was stress-related in each of the last three years.

Gareth Thomas: The following shows the percentage of sick leave taken by staff in the former DTI which was stress-related in each of the last three years:
	
		
			   Percentage 
			 2006-07 19.8 
			 2005-06 11.5 
			 2004-05 5.6 
		
	
	The aforementioned data cover all recorded conditions related, or possibly related, to stress and do not distinguish between work and non-work related stress. These data should be considered in the context of an average sickness absence figure for 2006 of 5.4 days for the former DTI which is below the average for a civil service medium sized policy based organisation in of 6.6 days.
	Our ongoing support measures for helping staff reporting stress-related sick leave include the following:
	Early referral to the Department's medical adviser,
	Return to work interviews,
	Independent confidential,
	A Keeping in Touch policy for those on long term sick leave,
	Participation in the cross-Whitehall network on stress management.

Employment: Industrial Disputes

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what research he has conducted on  (a) the average time for an employment dispute to be resolved,  (b) the average time for an employment dispute to be resolved through an employment tribunal,  (c) the average time for an employment dispute to be resolved if resolved through mediation and  (d) the average time for an employment dispute to be resolved if mediation is undertaken but was unsuccessful; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: The most recent assessment carried out by my Department of average time for employment disputes to be resolved was the 2003 Survey of Tribunal Applications. The next such survey is scheduled for the first half of 2008. Average time estimates are not available for those cases going to mediation, as the Department does not conduct research on mediation of employment disputes outside of the Employment Tribunal System.

Industrial Disputes: Arbitration

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether his Department has conducted any research on user satisfaction in mediated employment disputes.

Patrick McFadden: No research on user satisfaction in mediated employment disputes has been conducted by my Department or the former Department of Trade and Industry in recent years.

Industrial Disputes: Arbitration

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the average total cost of  (a) mediating and  (b) litigating an employment dispute.

Patrick McFadden: The Department does not collect information on private mediation in employment disputes. The Department has approved plans to undertake the next periodic Survey of Employment Tribunal Applications (SETA) in 2008. SETA assembles a broad range of data on ETs including the legal costs, costs of advice and representation, and other expenses, incurred by claimants and employers involved in employment tribunals (ET) claims. The last SETA was conducted in 2003. Results were published by the Department in 2004 as ERRS No. 33 Findings from the Survey of Employment Tribunal Applications 2003.

Industrial Disputes: Mediation

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many employment dispute mediators there were in each of the last three years; and what he expects to be the trend in this figure over the next three years.

Patrick McFadden: The Government do not hold information on all types of employment dispute mediators.
	The consultation Resolving Disputes in the Workplace covered the area of mediation, and the Government will publish its plans for the way forward in resolving disputes in the workplace in due course.

Industrial Disputes: Mediation

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will commission research into the effect of the practice of employment tribunals not awarding costs to employees who win their cases on the  (a) number of cases going to tribunal and  (b) time taken by employers in assembling their cases; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: The Department has approved plans to undertake the next periodic Survey of Employment Tribunal Applications (SETA) in 2008. SETA assembles a broad range of data on ETs including costs incurred by claimants and employers involved in employment tribunal (ET) claims and their awareness of the cost regime and its impact on decisions to settle or withdraw claims. The survey cannot establish the effect of ETs not routinely awarding costs to successful claimants on potential claimants since these are not included in the survey. It is also not possible to test the impact of the counterfactualtribunals routinely awarding costs to successful claimants. Findings from SETA 2008 will be published in the Employment Relations Research Series (ERRS) by the end of 2008. The last SETA was conducted in 2003. Results were published by the Department in 2004 as ERRS No. 33 Findings from the Survey of Employment Tribunal Applications 2003.

Industrial Disputes: Mediation

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many representations containing concerns on increasing the use of mediation in employment disputes his Department and its predecessor have received in the last five years.

Patrick McFadden: The Government do not hold this information.
	The consultation Resolving Disputes in the Workplace covered the area of mediation, and the Government will publish their plans for the way forward in resolving disputes in the workplace in due course.

Industrial Disputes: Small Businesses

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment his Department has made of the effect of employment disputes on small firms.

Patrick McFadden: Employment tribunal cases clearly impose additional costs on small firms, as they do on other respondents. The most recent assessment by my Department of the impact on respondents was the 2003 Survey of Tribunal Applications. The next such survey is scheduled for the first half of 2008.

Industrial Relations: Disputes Procedures

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 11 July 2007,  Official Report, column 1545W, on industrial relations: disputes procedures, for what reasons his Department only supports mediation through the funding of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service; whether his Department plans to support mediation through additional means in the future; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: The review undertaken by Michael Gibbons was a far-reaching, independent review covering all aspects of resolving employment disputes in the workplace in Great Britain.
	In light of this review and the responses received to the consultation Resolving Disputes in the Workplace, the Government are currently developing their plans for the way forward on the resolution of employment disputes including the role of mediation. These plans will be published in due course.

Joint Industry Board for the Electrical Contracting Industry: Arbitration

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for North-East Hertfordshire (Mr. Heald) of 17 July 2007,  Official Report, column 285W, on the Joint Industry Board for the Electrical Contracting Industry: Arbitration, when in the autumn he expects the response to Michael Gibbons review.

Patrick McFadden: Michael Gibbons review was published on 21 March. Alongside the Gibbons review, we published a consultation document seeking views on ways of helping resolve employment disputes successfully in the workplace. That consultation closed on 20 June 2007, and we received over 400 responses to it. We are analysing the responses received and will publish the Government response when it is ready, in the autumn.

Mediation

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what factors were taken into account in deciding not  (a) to promote and  (b) to provide information on mediation in employment disputes in guidance issued by his Department.

Patrick McFadden: BERR does promote and provide information on methods of dispute resolution via ACAS, direct.gov and business.gov, information sources used by parties to employment disputes. It also provides funding for the Citizens Advice Bureau network, which advises clients involved in employment disputes, including on methods of alternative dispute resolution.

Mediation: Qualifications

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether his Department has assessed the merits of introducing statutory  (a) registration and  (b) qualifications for mediators.

Patrick McFadden: The review undertaken by Michael Gibbons was a far-reaching, independent review covering all aspects of resolving employment disputes in the workplace in Great Britain, including mediation.
	Aspects of mediation were covered in the public consultation Resolving Disputes in the Workplace. The Government are currently assessing responses to this consultation and developing their plans for the way forward on the resolution of employment disputes. These plans will be published in due course.

Small Businesses: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many small businesses there were in City of York  (a) constituency and  (b) local authority area in each year since 1992.

Stephen Timms: Estimates of the total small business population, which includes businesses with a turnover above and below the VAT threshold, are not produced below the regional level.
	However data on the total number of VAT registered businesses in each UK constituency and local authority is published by BERR. Data for City of York parliamentary constituency and York unitary authority are shown as follows for the years 1994 to 2006. Data prior to 1994 are not available. Data for the start of 2007 will be published autumn 2007.
	
		
			  Number of VAT registered businesses at the start of each year 
			   City of York PC  York UA 
			 1994 2,120 4,055 
			 1995 2,120 4,050 
			 1996 2,110 4,065 
			 1997 2,085 4,080 
			 1998 2,130 4,170 
			 1999 2,165 4,260 
			 2000 2,200 4,335 
			 2001 2,230 4,445 
			 2002 2,270 4,535 
			 2003 2,270 4,640 
			 2004 2,355 4,775 
			 2005 2,420 4,865 
			 2006 2,495 4,940 
			  Source: Business Start-ups and Closures: VAT Registrations and De-registrations 1994-2005. Available at: www.dtistats.net/smes/vat/ 
		
	
	Between 1994 and 2006 the number of VAT registered businesses increased by 18 per cent. in the City of York constituency, and by 22 per cent. in York unitary authority.
	VAT registrations do not capture all business activity. Businesses are unlikely to be registered if they fall below the compulsory VAT threshold, which was 60,000 at the start of 2006. Only 1.8 million out of 4.3 million UK enterprises (42 per cent.) were registered for VAT at the start of 2005.

Wave Power

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what research he has  (a) conducted and  (b) evaluated on the possible use of wave energy systems in the UK.

Malcolm Wicks: Since 2000 the DTI New and Renewable Energy R and D Programme, which is now part of the Technology Strategy Board's Technology Programme, has funded industry-led, shared-cost, pre-competitive research and development into wave energy. A total of 30 projects have been supported under the programme covering 10 different device concepts, as well as a number of ancillary technologies.
	To date a total of 17 reports setting out the results of this research have been published (not all of the 30 projects are complete) and most are available from the BERR Publications Unit at:
	www.berr.gov.uk/publications/index.html
	These suggest that wave energy systems could potentially make a significant contribution towards our energy needs if a number of technical and economic barriers can be overcome.
	Other research in this area has been supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the Carbon Trust, the International Energy Agency and the European Commission.

HEALTH

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department  (a) has undertaken and  (b) plans to undertake into the reasons for repeat abortions; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: No research has been undertaken or is planned in this specific area.

Agency Nurses: East Sussex

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent on agency nurses providing temporary cover in  (a) Eastbourne and  (b) East Sussex in each of the last 10 years.

Dawn Primarolo: The information is not collected in the format requested. Data is collected by 'non national health service nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff'. This will include staff who are other than agency, for example bank nurses. Information is not collected by place but by NHS trust. The earliest data available for NHS acute trusts in the East Sussex area is 1999 and for NHS primary care trusts 2002 and is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Expenditure on agency nurses in Eastbourne and East Sussex: Expenditure on non-NHS (agency etc.) nursing midwifery and health  v isiting staff 
			  000 
			   1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			  NHS trusts
			  PCT
			 Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals8,086 6,237 1,950 2,995 
			 Brighton Health Care 2,424 2,530 3,425 
			 Mid Sussex 308 336 821 
			 East Sussex County Healthcare1,306 1,071 719 687 
			 Eastbourne and County Healthcare 194 191 394 
			 South Downs Health 792 819 714 1,014 1,046 1,331 1,625 
			 East Sussex Hospitals3,212 4,298 2,145 1,378 
			 Eastbourne Hospital 959 1,318 1,060 
			 Hastings and Rother 248 487 1,050 
			 Surrey and Sussex Healthcare 2,362 3,613 5,504 6,751 4,401 4,949 2,765 
			 
			 Brighton and Hove City0 0 0 0 
			 Eastbourne Downs1 0 0 0 
			 Sussex Downs and Weald197 132 86 394 
			 
			 Total (all organisations) 7,287 9,294 12,968 20,567 17,185 11,180 9,844 
			  Source:  Annual Financial Returns of NHS Trusts and Primary Care Trusts

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many teenagers were admitted to accident and emergency in  (a) Hampshire and  (b) England as a result of drinking alcohol in the last (i) 12 months and (ii) five years;
	(2)  what treatments were most frequently administered to teenage drinkers admitted to accident and emergency departments in the last  (a) 12 months and  (b) five years in (i) Hampshire and (ii) England.

Dawn Primarolo: Data on the age of patients attended to or the treatments given in accident and emergency (A  E) departments is not collected centrally.
	It should be noted that there is a difference between alcohol related disease and other alcohol related admissions: data on the age of patients attended to or the treatments given in A  E departments is not collected centrally. Data is also not collected on injuries sustained where alcohol has been a contributory factor.
	However, the following table shows the numbers of Finished Admission Episodes (FAE) for 13 to 19-year-olds admitted to hospital via A  E departments with a primary diagnosis of alcohol related illnesses for each year for the past five years.
	
		
			  Count of FAE with a primary diagnosis of alcohol related Illnesses admitted via  A  E  for 13-19 year olds,  d ata for NHS Hospitals, England, 2005-06 
			   Hampshire and Isle of Wight Strategic Health Authority of Residence  England (inc. Hampshire) 
			 2005-06 191 5,575 
			 2004-05 171 4,800 
			 2003-04 155 4,455 
			 2002-03 125 3,758 
			 2001-02 102 4,102 
			  Notes:  FAE A FAE is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Admissions do not represent the number of in-patients as a person may have more than one admission within the year.  Assessing growth through time Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. During the years that these records have been collected by the national health service, there have been ongoing improvements in quality and coverage. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. Changes in NHS practice also need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. For example a number of procedures may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and may no longer be accounted in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time.  Diagnosis (primary diagnosis) The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 14 (7 prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the HES data set and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital.  The ICD10 Codes used to define alcohol related conditions are as follows: T5lToxic Effect of Alcohol K70Alcoholic Live Disease F10Mental and behavioural disorders due to alcohol  Age: Data is for those who were between 13 and 19 years old at the start of the episode  Admission Method:  Admission method 21 and 28 were selected for A  E admissions This data is for patients admitted to hospital as an inpatient, via A  E. This does not reflect the number of A  E attendances.  Source:  HES, The Information Centre for Health and Social Care

Assertive Outreach Services

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the  (a) distribution and  (b) effectiveness of assertive outreach services.

Ivan Lewis: Assertive outreach teams provide intensive support for people with severe mental illness who find it difficult to engage in more traditional mental health services. At 31 January 2006, there were 525 assertive outreach (AO) teams in England.
	Assertive outreach services are effective in caring for about 18,400 people (at 31 March 2007). The table shows the distribution of AO teams across England by strategic health authority (SHA). The difference between the SHA total and the England total is due to some teams not being assigned to an SHA.
	
		
			  Number of AO teams in England by strategic health authority in January 2006 
			  SHA name  Total AO teams 
			 North East 18 
			 North West 30 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 22 
			 East Midlands 19 
			 West Midlands 26 
			 East of England 26 
			 London 40 
			 South East Coast 22 
			 South Central 19 
			 South West 29 
			 SHA total 251 
			 England total 525 
			  Source: Service mapping.

Autism

Anthony D Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to collect national figures on the number of people with autism.

Ann Keen: The Department has no plans to collect national figures on the number of people with autism.

Blood Transfusions

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the  (a) direct and  (b) indirect costs of a blood transfusion.

Dawn Primarolo: We cannot estimate the cost of an individual blood transfusion. However, the cost of a unit of red blood cell is 134.

Cancer: Anaemia

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of cancer patients who suffer from anaemia;
	(2)  what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect on costs to the NHS of using erythropoietin for the treatment of cancer-related anaemia;
	(3)  what treatments are  (a) licensed,  (b) recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and  (c) being reviewed by NICE for the treatment of cancer-related anaemia;
	(4)  what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of cancer patients receiving treatment for cancer-related anaemia.

Ann Keen: Options available to address anaemia in cancer patients include blood transfusions, iron supplementation, erythropoietin and adjustments to a patient's cancer treatment regime.
	On 29 June 2007 the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published its preliminary recommendations on the use of erythropoietin for the treatment of anaemia induced by cancer treatment.
	These preliminary recommendations are currently with stakeholders for consultation and they have until 23 July 2007 to submit comments. Final guidance from NICE is expected later this year.
	The Department has not made any estimate of the number of cancer patients who suffer from anaemia or who receive treatment for anaemia.
	However, the NICE appraisal of erythropoietin sets out that a large European study of almost 15,000 cancer patients found that, at enrolment, around half of the patients had anaemia. This proportion increased during treatment, particularly with chemotherapy. Proportions also appeared to be larger in patients with lymphoma, myeloma and gynaecological cancers than in patients with other types of cancer.
	The Department has not made an assessment of the potential effect on costs to the national health service of using erythropoietin. However, NICE estimates that the cost of a course of treatment with erythropoietin is approximately 2,500 to 5,000, excluding VAT.

Cancer: Medical Treatments

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who will be responsible for implementing the cancer reform strategy.

Ann Keen: The cancer reform strategy is currently being developed and mechanisms to implement the strategy will be considered as part of this in due course. The Department aims to publish the strategy before the end of the year.

Care Homes

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) state and  (b) privately-funded care home places in (i) Eastbourne, (ii) East Sussex and (iii) England per head of population.

Ivan Lewis: Neither the Department nor the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) collects data on population numbers. Information on the number of care and nursing homes and registered places is collected by CSCI as part of its registration and inspection activities.
	The Office for National Statistics has supplied data on numbers of adults aged 18 and over in England and the East Sussex council areas. Numbers of care and nursing home places in England and East Sussex as percentages of the numbers of adults aged 18 and over are shown in the table. Data on numbers of places in Eastbourne is not available.
	Care home places are not registered as state or privately funded; care is funded in a variety of ways. Depending on their circumstances, residents may fund their own care, or be partly or wholly supported by councils or the national health service, or organisations such as charities and previous employers. As a result, the same place may, at different times, be state or privately funded depending on the circumstances of the resident occupying it.
	
		
			  Area  Places( 1)  Number of adults aged 18 and over( 2)  Number of places as a percentage of adults aged 18 and over( 3) 
			 England 441,581 39,383,400 1.12 
			 East Sussex 8,086 393,700 2.00 
			 (1) Numbers include residential and nursing home places for older people and for younger adults (aged 18 to 64). (2) Figures rounded to the nearest 100. These data are Crown copyright. (3) Percentages rounded to two decimal places.  Sources: 1. CSCI registration and inspection database, 10 July 2007 2. Office for National Statistics mid-2005 population estimates (latest available figures)

Care Homes: East Sussex

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) occupied and  (b) available extra care housing places there are in (i) Eastbourne and (ii) East Sussex.

Ivan Lewis: This information is not collected centrally.

Chemicals: Health Hazards

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the impact on human health of man-made chemicals found in household goods, with particular reference to  (a) perfluorinated compounds,  (b) phthalates,  (c) phenolic compounds and  (d) brominated flame retardants; and what measures the Government plans to protect human health against the effects of such chemicals.

Dawn Primarolo: Regulations are in place that require the manufacturers of household goods to make risk assessments on the impact of the chemicals found in those household goods, and this would include any impacts on human health. Responsibility for these regulations lies with other Departments.
	Manufacturers and suppliers of chemicals and chemical products are required under the Chemicals (Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply) Regulations 2002 to classify their products in line with an European Union-wide classification system and to label them accordingly. When appropriate, the product must carry a warning symbol and risk phrases that indicate the category of hazard. When supplied for workplace use, the products must additionally have a safety data sheet that sets out the particular risks associated with the use of the product.
	Since 1993, over one hundred hazardous substances have been assessed for their risk to human health and the environment under the European Union's Existing Substances Regulation (EC/793/93). Where appropriate, control measures have been put in place including, in some cases, restrictions on the marketing and use of these substances.
	Other regulations for protecting the consumer are the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform's General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (GPSR) which implement the European Commission (EC) General Product Safety Directive (2001/95/EC) and apply to all consumer products that are not covered (and to the same extent) by specific European safety legislation. The GPSR requires manufacturers to ensure that products present no risk or only the minimum risk compatible with the product's use, and that they are accompanied by appropriate warnings and instructions for use.
	The EC has adopted the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures, and amending Directive 67/548/EEC and Regulation (EC) No. 1907/2006 (COM(2007) 355 final). This proposed act will align the EU system of classification, labelling and packaging substances and mixtures to the United Nations Globally Harmonised System (GHS). It will complement the new EU Regulation on the Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation Chemicals (REACH).
	 Perfluorinated compounds
	The Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) provided advice on the toxicity and tolerable daily intake of perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonate. The statement was published in November 2006.
	 Phthalates
	Phthalates are a family of chemical substances, with a range of properties. Extensive research into the effects of certain phthalates on both the environment and human health has been carried out at a European level, under the auspices of the EU's Existing Substances Regulation (793/93/EC). Details of the programme can be found on the European Chemicals Bureau website at:
	ecb.jrc.it/existing-chemicals/.
	The United Kingdom takes the view that phthalates must be considered on a case-by-case basis and that risk assessments should be based on evidence. Where the database is insufficient to complete a risk assessment, it is normally expected that the industry will carry out the required additional research. However, Government have asked its expert committee, COT, to keep the area of environmental chemicals and reproductive health under review and will consider their advice on the need for additional research in this area.
	 Phenolic compounds
	The term used may apply to phenolic disinfectants, phenolic resins or to the vast range of chemicals which include a phenol ring, some of which will have had assessments carried out.
	 Brominated flame retardants
	COT reviewed the toxicology of the brominated flame retardant, tetrabromobisphenol A, in relation to potential environmental contamination and their statement was published in 2004.
	The UK has carried out the EC risk assessment for three (octa-, deca-, and penta-bromodiphenyl ether) of the commercially available brominated flame retardants. There was concern about the long-term effects of brominated flame retardants, which are necessarily stable in conditions of extreme heat, and in some cases are persistent. Strategies to reduce exposure are developed if an unacceptable risk is identified. For example, the brominated flame retardant Pentabromodiphenyl ether has been banned in the EU since 15 August 2004 under the EU's Marketing and Use Directive for all uses, except for a temporary derogation until March 2006 for it use in aircraft emergency evacuation slides. This ban is implemented in Great Britain by Statutory Instrument 2004/3278 and in Northern Ireland by SI 2004/509.

Children: Deviance and Behaviour Disorders

Paul Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures his Department has adopted to ensure that agencies working with under 18-year-olds with conditions that can cause severe behavioural problems co-ordinate their work in the best interests of those people.

Ivan Lewis: Agencies are committed to working together to help young people with severe behavioural disorders and there are local authority targets to ensure protocols are in place for those with complex needs. Multi-agency teams, such as youth offending teams, work co-operatively to ensure that needs are met. The National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services encourages and promotes increased efforts to develop multi-agency services to promote the mental health of all children and young people. Partnership working across agencies will help to eradicate many problems.
	This of course only reflects the position in England.

Children: Deviance and Behaviour Disorders

Paul Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what facilities there are to provide support, assistance and respite care for the families of under 18-year-olds with conditions that can cause severe behavioural problems;
	(2)  what facilities there are for the residential care of under 18-year-olds with conditions that can cause severe behavioural problems; and where those facilities are located.

Ivan Lewis: The publication in September 2004 of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) standard of the National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services gives guidance on what is envisaged in a comprehensive CAMHS service. It stresses that services must also ensure support for parents or carers and other family members.
	There are inpatient units for under 18s with severe mental health problems resulting in behavioural disorders run by the national health service and privately. These are commissioned as part of CAMHS commissioning. These are located all around the country. In some instances young people end up on adult wards. However, the most important change that has been made to the Mental Health Bill is that it will now require hospital managers to ensure that patients under 18 who are admitted to hospital for assessment or treatment, either under the Act or as voluntary patients, are placed in an environment that is suitable for their age.
	For severe behavioural disorders that are not due to mental health disorders there are also local authority secure children's homes and secure forensic units for young offenders with mental health problems. We do not collect information on where these facilities are located. This of course only reflects the position in England.

Chlamydia Infection: Screening

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the national screening programme for chlamydia has been rolled out completely in all trusts; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: To March 2007, 50 per cent. of primary care trusts in England were part of the national chlamydia screening programme. This covers 46 programme areas. Over 330,000 screens have been reported to the Health Protection Agency since the programme started. During this year we expect every area to start screening covering the whole of England.

Clostridium

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the additional time spent in hospital by those who contracted clostridium difficile in the last 12 months.

Ann Keen: holding answer 24 July 2007
	No specific estimate has been made in the last 12 months. A frequently quoted figure is that Clostridium difficile infection adds 21 days(1) to length of stay but this was based on health service practice in 1996.
	( 1 ) Source:
	Wilcox, M. H., Cunniffe, J. G., Trundle, C.  Redpath, C. (1996). Financial burden of hospital-acquired Clostridium difficile infection. Journal of Hospital Infection 34, 23-30.

Colorectal Cancer: Screening

Anthony D Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the hubs and centres involved in the NHS bowel cancer screening programme which are operational; and what the timeframe is for implementation of the NHS bowel cancer screening programme at new hubs and centres across England.

Ann Keen: Within the national health service bowel cancer screening programme, five programme hubs across England are inviting men and women aged 60 to 69 to participate in the programme, sending out the faecal occult blood (FOB) testing kits, analysing the returned kits and sending out results. The five programme hubs are located in Rugby (covering the west midlands and the north-west), Guildford (southern), St. Mark's Hospital (London), Gateshead (north-east) and Nottingham (eastern). All five hubs were operational by March 2007.
	Around 75 local screening centres will provide endoscopy services for those people with a positive FOB test once the programme is fully rolled out by December 2009. 15 local screening centres became operational in wave 1 of the programme in 2006-07. These were: Wolverhampton; Norwich; Cheshire and Merseyside; Bolton, Wigan and Salford; South Devon; Gloucester; Solent and West Sussex; St. Mark's Hospital, London; St. George's Hospital, London; Inner North East London; University College, London; South Tyne; Tees; Hull; and Derby.
	Two local screening centres have already become operational in wave 2 of the programme in 2007-08. These are Heart of England and Coventry and Warwickshire. A further 25 local screening centres are expected to open as part of wave 2 by March 2008.
	Strategic health authorities will be invited to bid for their local endoscopy units to become local screening centres as part of wave 3 of the programme (2008-09) in the autumn.

Colorectal Cancer: Screening

Anthony D Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information has been provided to  (a) GPs and  (b) the media on the roll-out of the national bowel cancer screening programme.

Ann Keen: When the national health service bowel cancer screening programme is rolled out to primary care trust areas, all general practitioners within the locality are sent a primary care resource pack about the programme to help them support their patients through the process. The pack, produced in collaboration with Cancer Research UK, includes: a sample faecal occult blood testing kit; an information for primary care booklet; a summary sheet of how the programme works; a publicity poster; a copy of information leaflets sent to people taking part in the programme; a sample invitation letter; and a copy of the Cancer Research UK statistics on bowel cancer.
	It is for strategic health authorities, working in partnership with their primary care trusts and local stakeholders, to decide how to publicise the programme in their areas. We are aware that many have worked with the local media to publicise the launch of the programme in their areas. National information about the programme is given to the media on request.

Compulsorily Detained Mental Patients

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients, subject to sectioning orders, have absconded from secure mental hospitals in each of the last five years.

Ivan Lewis: An abscond occurs when a mental health patient detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 goes missing outside the secure perimeter of a unit, e.g. when on a scheduled visit. Absconds do not occur from within secure units. If a patient managed to get out from within the secure perimeter of a unit, this would be termed an escape.
	The Department does not routinely collect data on absconds centrally in regard to all mental health services, with the exception of high secure mental health hospitals.
	An abscond can be either non-serious or a serious untoward incident (SUI). In relation to mental health patients detained under the Mental Health Act 1983, an abscond is treated as an SUI where a significant risk is posed to the patient or to others. An abscond would not necessarily be treated as an SUI where the abscond is unintentional, due for example to a patient missing a bus or train when returning from leave.
	The reporting of SUI absconds is stringent. Individual national health service organisations are responsible for identifying SUIs and there must be clear local procedures at each NHS organisation to identify, report and investigate SUIs. Information is collected by, and is available on request from, each strategic health authority about all SUIs reported during each calendar year by month, type and NHS organisation. There are no similar requirements in relation to collecting non-serious abscond data.
	The data on absconds from high secure mental health hospitals for the last five years is in the following table.
	
		
			   Rampton  Ashworth  Broadmoor  Total 
			 20070 
			 20060 
			 2005  1  1 
			 2004   1 1 
			 2003 1   1 
			 Total absconds in last five years from high secure3 
		
	
	All absconds occurred while patients were on escorted leave. Escorted leave is authorised as necessary, for instance if the patient needs to visit a general hospital for treatment of a physical health problem that cannot be dealt with at the high security hospital. In all cases, the leave will be risk assessed by mental health professionals before being authorised.
	There have been no escapes in the last five years by patients in high secure hospitals.

Contraceptives

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women were fitted with a contraceptive implant in each of the last 10 years, broken down by  (a) type of device and  (b) age of patient.

Dawn Primarolo: The information available is shown in the following tables.
	The table shows data on prescriptions dispensed in the community (almost all of these prescriptions are written by general practice). Data on the number of women fitted with an implant by age are not available.
	
		
			   Implanon Implant 68mg  Norplant Implant( 1)  38mg (6 Cap)  Total 
			 1997  834 834 
			 1998  689 689 
			 1999 441 1,034 1,475 
			 2000 5,133 7 5,140 
			 2001 7,084 1 7,085 
			 2002 9,714  9,714 
			 2003 12,747  12,747 
			 2004 15,557  15,557 
			 2005 23,469  23,469 
			 2006 37,951  37,951 
			 Total 112,096 2,565 114,661 
			 (1) Norplant Implant is no longer available  Source: Prescription information is taken from the prescription cost analysis (PCA) system, supplied by the prescription pricing division (PPD) of the Business Services Authority (BSA), and is based on a full analysis of all prescriptions dispensed in the community i.e. by community pharmacists and appliance contractors, dispensing doctors, and prescriptions submitted by prescribing doctors for items personally administered in England. The data do not cover drugs dispensed in hospitals. 
		
	
	The table shows first contacts with women at community contraceptive clinics showing the number of implants fitted by age and year.
	
		
			  First contacts with women at community contraceptive clinics, showing the number of contraceptive implants fitted by age and year: England 
			  Thousands 
			   All ages  Under 16  16-19  20-24  25-34  35 and over 
			 2005-06 25.7 0.8 5.6 7.3 8.1 3.9 
			 2004-05 16.6 0.4 3.1 4.7 5.6 2.8 
			 2003-04 12.4 0.3 2.2 3.6 4.2 2.1 
			 2002-03 7.8 0.2 1.2 2.4 2.7 1.4 
			 2001-02 5.0 0.1 0.6 1.3 2.0 1.0 
			 2000-01 3.4 0.1 0.4 0.8 1.4 0.7 
			 1999-2000 2.4 0.0 0.2 0.5 1.1 0.6 
			 1998-99 1.3 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.6 0.3 
			 1997-98 1.3 0.0 0.2 0.3 0.6 0.2 
			  Source:  The Information Centre KT31 return.

Contraceptives: Young People

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many girls aged  (a) 11,  (b) 12,  (c) 13,  (d) 14,  (e) 15 and  (f) 16 years were given the morning after pill in each of the last three years.

Dawn Primarolo: Data on prescriptions dispensed in the community for contraception by age are not available (almost all of these prescriptions are written by general practice).
	The available information on emergency hormonal contraception supplied by community contraception clinics is shown as follows. We are unable to provide data by individual ages; data are only collected by the age-bands shown.
	
		
			  Occasions on which emergency hormonal contraception were supplied by community contraception clinics by age and yearEngland 
			  Thousand 
			of which: 
			   All ages  under 15  15  16-17 
			 2003-04 (1)183.2 8.7 18.2 43.7 
			 2004-05 174.1 7.9 16.4 41.7 
			 2005-06 164.5 7.2 14.8 41.1 
			 (1 )data revised in 2004-05 publication.  Source:  The Information Centre KT31 return.

Dental Services

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department categorises teeth bleaching carried out by dentists as a health procedure.

Ann Keen: Yes, we share the view taken by the General Dental Council that all tooth whitening procedures, including bleach and laser treatment, constitute the practice of dentistry. Consequently the procedures may only be carried out by a dentist.

Dental Services: Waiting Lists

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the average waiting time for NHS dental work in  (a) Southampton,  (b) Hampshire and  (c) England in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the trends in waiting times in  (a) Southampton,  (b) Hampshire and  (c) England since 1997.

Ann Keen: Information is held centrally on waiting times for dental services provided in hospital settings. The available information for the period requested has been placed in the Library.
	Information on waiting times for dental treatment in primary care is not held centrally.

Dental Services: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) adults and  (b) children were registered with NHS general dental practices in York as at March 2007.

Ann Keen: The requested information is not collected centrally.

Dental Services: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many full-time equivalent NHS general dental practitioners there are in York.

Ann Keen: The information is not available in the requested format. As of 31 March 2007, there were a total of 342 dentists on open national health service contracts in the North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust area.

Doctors: Vetting

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what  (a) Criminal Records Bureau,  (b) security,  (c) health and  (d) registration status checks are carried out on overseas doctors seeking to work in the United Kingdom.

Ann Keen: The national health service is required to undertake a wide range of pre and post employment checks, as set out in guidance issued by NHS Employers in May 2005 on safer recruitment. The guidance covers all procedures for the full range of checks to be made, before appointment of anyone in the NHS. It applies to all NHS settings. The Healthcare Commission monitor NHS trusts on their compliance with the guide. A copy of this guidance, entitled Safer Recruitment, A Guide for NHS Employers, has been placed in the Library.
	In February 2005 Ministers decided that Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) checks should be mandatory for all staff with access to patients in the normal course of their duties. However, CRB checks are limited to the United Kingdom and will not reveal anything on staff who have just entered the UK for the first time. NHS Employers guidance states that employers who recruit staff from abroad should carry out the necessary police checks in line with that country's justice system and UK requirements.

Family Planning

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many appointments there have been  (a) at family planning clinics and  (b) for family planning domiciliary visits in each health trust in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many attendances at family planning clinics there were in each of the last five years, broken down by  (a) age and  (b) trust.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children and young people  (a) under 16-years-old and  (b) between 16 and 18 years visited a sexual health clinic in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: Data for community contraceptive services are reported by attendances rather than by appointment.
	Data on attendances at community contraceptive clinics by age and trust can be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, data for England for first contacts by age are published in NHS Contraceptive Services, England, 2005-06, copies of which have been placed in the Library; data for attendance by trust have been placed in the Library.
	Data are not available for attendances at genito-urinary clinics but are available for the five major sexually transmitted infection diagnoses, chlamydia, gonorrhoea, genital warts, genital herpes and syphilis. The data are published by the Health Protection Agency in Diagnoses of selected STIs by Strategic Health Authority, country, sex and age group, United Kingdom: 1997-2006, copies of which are available in the Library.

Genito-Urinary Medicine: Waiting Lists

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made and what the timetable is for future steps to be taken towards the commitment in the White Paper Choosing Health that everyone referred to a genito-urinary medicine clinic should be able to have an appointment within 48 hours; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: We are making excellent progress on our target. Data from the genito-urinary medicine monthly monitoring return showed that in May 2007, 85 per cent. of first attendances were offered an appointment to be seen within 48 hours of contacting a service.
	A National Support Team is supporting those primary care trusts that are most challenged in meeting the target.

Health Services

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 5 July 2007,  Official Report, column 1148W, on health services, by what means research required by the working groups on the White Paper will be financed.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department has put aside funding for the working groups in 2007-08, which will include funding for any research they commission. Resources for future years will be subject to the availability of funds approved by Parliament.

Health Services

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 5 July 2007,  Official Report, column 1148W, on health services, whether documents made available to the working groups on the White Paper will also be made available to  (a) stakeholder organisations (i) represented and (ii) not represented on the working groups and  (b) the public.

Ben Bradshaw: Wherever possible, and subject to any legal constraints, any information made available to the working groups and any subsequent documents produced as a result of consultation from working group meetings will be publicly available. However, there may be exceptional circumstances in which, after consultation with the chairs of the working groups, we may need to share information with Members on an in confidence basis.

Health Services

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 5 July 2007,  Official Report, column 1148W, on health services, by what means the patient and public stakeholders on the working groups on the White Paper are being  (a) nominated and  (b) selected; and what expenses will be met for them in their work.

Ben Bradshaw: On 5 June 2007, the Department held a conference for interested groups, where views were sought on taking forward the implementation of the White Paper. A number of patient and public involvement groups attended the conference and we also intend that future meetings of the National Advisory Group will include a wide regional representation. Proposals for the membership and terms of reference of the national working groups were presented and views and expressions of interest sought. The detailed membership of the groups is now being finalised by the Department, working with the chairs and taking into account views expressed by stakeholders. Each working group will include patient/public representatives. Reasonable expenses will be met for such members of the working groups.

Health Services: West Sussex Primary Care Trust

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost is of West Sussex Primary Care Trust's Fit for the Future consultation exercise.

Dawn Primarolo: This information is not held centrally but can be obtained from West Sussex Primary Care Trust.

Health Services: Asylum

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the provision of NHS care for failed asylum seekers who are temporarily unable to leave the UK.

Ivan Lewis: No one in need of immediately necessary treatment to save life or prevent a condition from becoming life-threatening will ever have that treatment refused or denied, irrespective of their immigration status. However, the principle still remains that the national health service is intended primarily for those who are legally resident in this country. Under the NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989, as amended, anyone not ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom will be liable for charges for any NHS hospital treatment they receive unless they are exempt from charge under one of several exemption categories.
	Asylum seekers whose applications are under consideration are exempt from charges but failed asylum seekers are not exempt from charges except for the continuation of a course of treatment begun before their application was ultimately rejected, or where the treatment needed is itself exempt from charge.
	The Home Office document Enforcing the rules: a strategy to ensure and enforce compliance with our immigration laws, published in March, announced that a review of access to the NHS by foreign nationals would be carried out jointly by the Home Office and the Department. The review, to be completed by October, will specifically consider the position of failed asylum seekers, including those who are temporarily unable to leave the United Kingdom for whatever reason.

Health Services: East Sussex

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) out-patient appointments and  (b) operations there were in (i) Eastbourne and (ii) East Sussex in each of the last 10 years.

Dawn Primarolo: The information is not collected in the format requested.
	The number of out-patient appointments for all specialities for national health service trusts in the East Sussex area is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Out-patient appointments, all specialties, selected NHS trusts 
			   Code  Name  First attendances seen  Subsequent attendances seen  Total out-patient appointments 
			 1997-98 RDL Eastbourne Hospitals Trust 41,675 101,283 142,958 
			 1997-98 RDM Hastings and Rother NHS Trust 36,353 99,888 136,241 
			 1997-98 RGX Eastbourne and County Healthcare NHS Trust 5,290 14,023 19,313 
			 1997-98 RDR South Downs Health NHS Trust 3,945 23,236 27,181 
			 1998-99 RDL Eastbourne Hospitals Trust 41,957 108,291 150,248 
			 1998-99 RDM Hastings and Rother NHS Trust 35,487 102,393 137,880 
			 1998-99 RGX Eastbourne and County Healthcare NHS Trust 4,606 13,042 17,648 
			 1998-99 RDR South Downs Health NHS Trust 3,979 23,427 27,406 
			 1999-2000 RDL Eastbourne Hospitals Trust 43,955 113,630 157,585 
			 1999-2000 RDM Hastings and Rother NHS Trust 51,797 81,728 133,525 
			 1999-2000 RGX Eastbourne and County Healthcare NHS Trust 5,316 13,567 18,883 
			 1999-2000 RDR South Downs Health NHS Trust 3,947 23,921 27,868 
			 2000-01 RDL Eastbourne Hospitals NHS Trust 46,050 117,320 163,370 
			 2000-01 RDM Hastings and Rother NHS Trust 54,711 82,276 136,987 
			 2000-01 RGX Eastbourne and County Healthcare NHS Trust 4,647 12,114 16,761 
			 2000-01 RDR South Downs Health NHS Trust 4,546 27,648 32,194 
			 2001-02 RDL Eastbourne Hospitals NHS Trust 45,051 114,607 159,658 
			 2001-02 RDM Hastings and Rother NHS Trust 53,950 87,081 141,031 
			 2001-02 RGX Eastbourne and County Healthcare NHS Trust 5,989 11,477 17,466 
			 2001-02 RDR South Downs Health NHS Trust 4,568 28,754 33,322 
			 2002-03 RXD East Sussex County Healthcare NHS Trust 25 47 72 
			 2003-04 RXD East Sussex County Healthcare NHS Trust 2  2 
			 2004-05 RXD East Sussex County Healthcare NHS Trust 260 150 410 
			 2005-06 RXD East Sussex County Healthcare NHS Trust 99 152 251 
			 2002-03 RXC East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust 94,543 201,997 296,540 
			 2003-04 RXC East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust 99,305 197,791 297,096 
			 2004-05 RXC East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust 87,038 198,362 285,400 
			 2005-06 RXC East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust 69,569 151,930 221,499 
			 2006-07 RXC East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust 91,435 188,033 279,468 
			  Note: The following NHS trusts merged in 2002-03  RXD East Sussex County Healthcare NHS Trust: RGX Eastbourne and County Healthcare NHS Trust; RDM Hastings and Rother NHS Trust (MH and LD services); and RDR South Down Health NHS Trust (MH and LD services).  RXC East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust: RDL Eastbourne Hospitals NHS Trust; and RDM Hastings and Rother NHS Trust (acute services).  Source: Department of Health form QMOP and QM08s. 
		
	
	The definition of operations is not clear. A count of finished consultant episodes that include an operation (for OPCS codes A01-X59 and not known) at the trusts identified for Eastbourne and East Sussex. The 'not known' operation codes occur when an entry has been made in the operation field (thus indicating an operation has occurred). However, this entry does not match the valid OPCS4 codes.
	The number of finished consultant episodes is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Count of finished consultant episodes with an operation (OPCS-4 codes between A01-X59 or and (operation code not known)) at three selected trusts, NHS hospitals, England 
			   Trust  2005-06  2004-05  2003-04  2002-03 
			 RXC East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust 60,010 52,566 53,067 50,037 
			 RXD East Sussex County Healthcare NHS Trust 64 78 52 94 
			 RXH Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust 63,290 59,271 50,954 52,661 
			  Notes:  Finished consultant episode (FCE) An FCE is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Please note that the figures do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the year.  FCE with an Operation A count of FCEs with an operation is the number of episodes with at least one coded procedure field. More procedures are carried out than finished consultant episodes with an operation. For example, patients undergoing a cataract operation would tend to have at least two proceduresremoval of the faulty lens and the fitting of a new onecounted in a single finished consultant episode.  Data Quality Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are compiled from data sent by over 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. The Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.  Assessing growth through time HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. During the years that these records have been collected, in the NHS there have been ongoing improvements in quality and coverage. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. Changes in NHS practice also need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. For example a number of procedures may now be undertaken in out-patient settings and may no longer be accounted in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time.  Ungrossed Data Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).

Health Services: Research

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department expects to publish the results of its scoping study of the burden of disease that will inform future work on health priorities; how that study has been structured; and who is leading it.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department expects to receive the final report on the scoping study by the end of August. No decision has been taken about its publication.
	The study is based on a review of existing datasets and has been commissioned from Dr. Stephen Green and Dr. Rebecca Miles of Oxford Healthcare Associates.

Health Services: Tourism

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to promote travel health consultations.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department transferred the function of providing health advice to British travellers to the Health Protection Agency (HPA)/National Travel Health Network and Centre in 2003. Their responsibilities include providing evidence-based advice to travellers (including updating the 2001 Yellow Book Health Information for Overseas Travel), surveillance of imported infections and providing a telephone helpline.
	The HPA are also directed under regulation 7(a) of the HPA Regulations 2005 to undertake the function of the designation of vaccinating centres in England for vaccination or revaccination against Yellow Fever for the purposes of the International Health Regulations 1969.
	Travel advice for children is also contained in the booklet produced by the Department entitled 'A guide to childhood immunisations for babies up to 13 months of age', copies of which have been placed in the Library and which is also available at:
	www.immunisation.nhs.uk.

Health Trainers

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) full and  (b) part-time health trainers there are in each trust.

Dawn Primarolo: Health trainers are employed in a variety of settings and the plurality of employment models means that we do not collect data by individual primary care trust. We do not distinguish between full-time and part-time health trainers in the data we do collect. In total there are 1,200 health trainers employed across the country, with an additional 450 currently undergoing training within the British Army.

Health Trainers

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the cost of employing NHS accredited health trainers; and what estimate he has made of the number of health trainers needed to implement the scheme in all trusts.

Dawn Primarolo: The guide cost of employing a health trainer at band 3 under the Agenda for Change is 30,000, but this will vary considerably across trusts and depend upon the delivery models chosen, which may, for example, include volunteers. The numbers of health trainers engaged within each trust will vary, according to locally identified needs and priorities and it is not possible at this stage to estimate future total numbers.

Health: Schools

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on what progress has been made and what the timetable is for future steps towards all schools reaching healthy status by 2009 as described in the White Paper 'Choosing Health'; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: As at 23 July, there were 10,280 schools (46 per cent.) who had gained the national healthy schools status and 90 per cent. of all schools in England have joined the national healthy schools programme. We are on track to meet our December 2007 milestone for there to be 55 per cent. of schools achieving national healthy schools status and 65 per cent. by December 2008. We expect that all schools will have achieved or be working towards the national healthy schools status by 2009 as set out in the 'Choosing Health' White Paper.

Henderson Hospital

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were  (a) referred to and  (b) funded for treatment at the Henderson hospital in each of the last five years.

Ivan Lewis: This information is not held centrally. However, this information can instead be obtained direct from the South West London and St. George's Mental Health NHS Trust.

Home Care Services

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people received domiciliary care packages in each health trust in each of the last five years.

Ivan Lewis: The table shows the number of people aged 18 and over receiving home care services for each council with Social Services responsibilities area in England from 2001-02 to 2005-06. Information by health trust is not available centrally.
	
		
			  Number of clients aged 18 and over receiving home care( 1)  by councils with Social Services responsibilities in England from 2001-02 to 2005-06 (CSSRs) 
			  Rounded numbers 
			   2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-052  2005-062 
			 England 597,000 581,000 589,000 584,000 596,000 
			 Cumbria 7,440 6,440 5,540 5,700 6,100 
			 Northumberland 7,380 6,540 5,750 5,360 5,120 
			 Gateshead 3,130 3,040 3,180 3,040 2,820 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 4,960 5,450 5,570 5,740 4,890 
			 North Tyneside 3,130 3,230 3,310 2,610 2,980 
			 South Tyneside 4,350 (3) (3) 2,800 2,960 
			 Sunderland 6,560 6,510 6,180 5,580 6,150 
			 Hartlepool 1,610 1,430 1,390 1,200 1,340 
			 Middlesbrough 1,370 1,470 1,560 1,510 1,350 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 1,130 1,720 1,500 1,670 1,580 
			 Stockton on Tees 2,590 2,510 2,460 2,350 2,170 
			 Durham 6,970 7,020 7,210 7,580 7,560 
			 Darlington 1,130 1,110 1,110 1,020 1,120 
			 Barnsley 3,560 3,310 3,290 4,860 6,020 
			 Doncaster 3,400 2,930 2,570 2,410 2,570 
			 Rotherham 3,370 3,270 3,130 3,040 3,300 
			 Sheffield 5,780 5,880 6,330 7,010 6,080 
			 Bradford 4,980 4,820 5,740 5,400 5,340 
			 Calderdale 2,090 3,810 3,150 2,220 2,610 
			 Kirklees 4,650 6,180 4,970 5,050 5,250 
			 Leeds 13,490 12,480 10,490 9,170 5,070 
			 Wakefield 3,760 3,310 3,360 3,360 3,120 
			 East Riding 3,630 3,640 3,610 3,550 3,440 
			 Kingston-upon-Hull 2,550 2,480 2,330 1,920 1,800 
			 North East Lincolnshire 2,860 2,220 1,180 1,450 2,030 
			 North Lincolnshire 1,650 2,190 2,600 2,880 1,980 
			 North Yorkshire 5,750 5,990 5,710 7,110 8,180 
			 York 2,070 2,680 2,730 2,520 2,550 
			 Bolton 3,470 3,160 3,370 3,390 3,130 
			 Bury 1,900 1,900 1,710 2,010 1,990 
			 Manchester (3) (3) (3) 4,710 4,610 
			 Oldham 3,570 3,430 3,240 2,950 2,690 
			 Rochdale 2,940 2,560 2,470 2,280 2,410 
			 Salford 4,200 4,880 4,700 4,180 4,240 
			 Stockport 4,530 2,840 3,120 3,180 2,860 
			 Tameside 2,770 3,450 2,120 2,190 6,480 
			 Trafford 2,800 1,940 2,510 2,480 2,650 
			 Wigan 4,670 4,550 4,510 4,230 3,550 
			 Knowsley 1,980 2,010 1,890 1,870 2,130 
			 Liverpool 4,120 5,450 3,220 5,000 6,700 
			 Sefton 2,890 2,700 2,710 4,300 3,380 
			 St. Helens 1,870 2,250 2,170 2,170 2,260 
			 Wirral 4,330 4,990 5,060 5,000 4,590 
			 Cheshire 7,820 7,970 8,340 8,570 9,100 
			 Halton 1,100 1,140 1,190 1,410 1,350 
			 Warrington 1,650 2,100 2,310 2,560 2,600 
			 Lancashire 11,880 13,740 15,910 16,840 17,410 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 1,870 2,050 1,890 1,870 1,900 
			 Blackpool 2,270 2,390 2,170 2,400 2,270 
			 Warwickshire 6,380 6,430 6,060 6,800 5,570 
			 Birmingham (3) (3) (3) (3) 10,140 
			 Coventry (3) 3,760 3,520 1,670 3,070 
			 Dudley 4,960 3,920 3,800 3,800 3,690 
			 Sandwell (3) 3,710 3,540 3,260 3,120 
			 Solihull 1,930 1,940 2,050 2,110 2,190 
			 Walsall 4,410 3,860 3,070 3,100 3,240 
			 Wolverhampton 3,590 3,530 3,400 3,510 3,590 
			 Staffordshire 9,450 9,830 9,440 9,250 8,840 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 2,480 3,950 3,680 3,110 3,020 
			 Herefordshire 1,150 1,090 1,120 1,040 1,430 
			 Worcestershire 3,610 5,910 5,860 5,620 5,470 
			 Shropshire 2,430 2,560 2,690 2,200 2,620 
			 Telford and Wrekin 1,350 1,510 1,520 1,580 1,960 
			 Lincolnshire 6,470 6,770 6,290 5,950 6,270 
			 Northamptonshire 10,170 5,930 5,850 7,950 8,780 
			 Derbyshire 20,470 15,450 14,280 14,370 14,730 
			 Derby 6,100 4,600 5,320 4,920 4,780 
			 Leicestershire 5,910 6,030 6,190 6,320 6,530 
			 Leicester 3,360 2,560 3,460 3,290 3,280 
			 Rutland 250 430 450 180 440 
			 Nottinghamshire 7,840 7,650 6,790 6,530 6,830 
			 Nottingham (3) 3,090 4,800 3,370 3,380 
			 Hertfordshire 9,620 10,070 11,040 11,800 12,570 
			 Norfolk 9,540 9,220 11,080 11,180 11,300 
			 Oxfordshire (3) (3) 4,270 4,510 5,070 
			 Suffolk 6,940 8,080 8,970 9,720 10,340 
			 Bedfordshire 3,750 4,280 4,510 4,880 3,100 
			 Luton 1,580 1,360 1,480 1,550 1,470 
			 Buckinghamshire 4,470 4,260 3,940 4,150 4,050 
			 Milton Keynes 1,970 2,130 2,310 1,880 2,030 
			 Bracknell Forest 980 1,110 1,620 740 660 
			 West Berkshire 1,320 1,230 1,290 1,320 1,420 
			 Reading 1,840 1,780 1,630 1,510 1,530 
			 Slough 1,190 940 980 1,040 1,060 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 1,200 1,080 1,160 1,090 1,080 
			 Wokingham 840 1,090 1,140 1,180 1,190 
			 Essex (3) (3) (3) (3) 13,070 
			 Southend 1,610 2,700 2,050 2,070 2,420 
			 Thurrock 1,490 1,460 1,400 1,170 1,180 
			 Cambridgeshire 4,710 5,080 5,230 5,190 5,570 
			 Peterborough 1,240 1,250 1,380 1,460 1,640 
			 Camden 3,620 3,360 3,080 3,000 3,130 
			 Greenwich 2,350 2,890 2,840 2,830 2,800 
			 Hackney (3) 1,860 (3) 2,330 2,290 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 3,080 3,020 3,300 3,160 3,060 
			 Islington 2,300 (3) 2,310 2,600 2,630 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 1,970 2,370 2,510 2,120 2,000 
			 Lambeth 4,600 4,430 3,810 3,260 2,570 
			 Lewisham 3,690 2,830 2,990 2,580 2,460 
			 Southwark 3,810 3,340 2,810 2,920 2,900 
			 Tower Hamlets 3,310 3,610 3,370 3,340 3,110 
			 Wandsworth 5,070 4,350 4,260 4,070 3,700 
			 Westminster 3,950 3,920 3,770 3,200 3,310 
			 City of London 70 170 190 100 120 
			 Barking and Dagenham 1,940 1,760 2,580 1,910 2,100 
			 Barnet 2,850 2,850 2,510 2,500 2,540 
			 Bexley 2,960 2,970 2,940 2,860 2,890 
			 Brent 1,700 1,620 1,550 2,470 2,490 
			 Bromley 6,430 4,160 (3) 4,300 3,840 
			 Croydon 4,370 4,290 4,730 3,360 3,090 
			 Ealing 3,730 3,170 4,010 2,950 4,170 
			 Enfield 2,250 2,320 2,290 2,410 2,460 
			 Haringey 2,010 2,000 2,040 1,890 1,930 
			 Harrow 2,560 2,290 2,360 2,720 2,690 
			 Havering 3,100 3,050 2,950 3,050 3,170 
			 Hillingdon 2,440 2,210 2,290 2,300 2,020 
			 Hounslow 890 1,750 1,660 1,740 1,960 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 1,610 1,850 1,510 1,590 1,510 
			 Merton 1,490 1,540 1,910 1,940 1,960 
			 Newham 2,610 3,000 2,930 2,570 2,530 
			 Redbridge 3,550 3,830 4,030 2,340 2,470 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames 1,490 1,370 1,370 1,500 1,610 
			 Sutton 2,190 2,240 2,270 2,280 1,930 
			 Waltham Forest 2,240 2,460 2,240 2,030 1,890 
			 Isle of Wight 1,360 1,970 2,260 1,750 1,290 
			 Surrey (3) (3) (3) 4,920 5,320 
			 West Sussex 6,820 4,310 7,520 6,690 6,980 
			 Dorset 3,580 3,650 4,090 3,960 3,930 
			 Bournemouth 2,010 1,060 990 1,140 1,300 
			 Poole 1,690 1,640 1,490 1,460 1,550 
			 Hampshire 10,730 10,660 11,690 13,270 11,460 
			 Portsmouth 3,100 3,250 2,990 2,780 2,870 
			 Southampton 3,510 3,520 5,280 3,650 4,100 
			 East Sussex 4,500 4,160 5,160 4,400 4,280 
			 Brighton and Hove 4,000 3,640 3,630 2,490 2,730 
			 Wiltshire 3,590 4,660 5,640 7,160 6,720 
			 Swindon 1,640 1,610 1,520 1,550 1,520 
			 Kent 19,140 26,050 17,100 19,480 19,010 
			 Medway Towns 2,690 2,740 2,680 3,070 3,000 
			 Cornwall 7,620 8,420 8,920 9,620 9,960 
			 Gloucestershire 5,010 4,570 5,970 4,960 5,580 
			 Somerset 7,810 8,340 8,270 7,410 7,120 
			 Isles of Scilly 20 20 20 20 30 
			 Bath and North East Somerset (3) 2,450 2,300 2,090 1,700 
			 Bristol 6,150 5,950 5,580 5,120 4,300 
			 North Somerset 2,050 1,990 1,730 1,190 1,880 
			 South Gloucestershire 2,320 2,190 2,260 2,190 2,500 
			 Devon 9,080 8,500 8,060 8,610 8,140 
			 Plymouth 1,360 1,230 1,660 2,140 2,280 
			 Torbay 2,580 2,290 2,210 2,030 2,190 
			 (1) Home care covers both home help/home care and overnight respiteclients home (2 )In 2004-05 restated guidance was issued to exclude people receiving services from grant funded organisations and who had not had a community care assessment. Therefore, data for 2004-05 onwards is not comparable to previous years. (3 )Data not available.  Note: Figures may not add up due to rounding.  Source:  RAP P2F

Home Care Services

Terry Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the guidance relating to home care to ensure that assessment of means is separate from assessment of needs has been changed.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 24 July 2007
	No. On 1 January 2003, the Department issued 'Fair Access to Care Services', guidance on eligibility criteria for adult social care, to councils for implementation by April 2003. It was issued under cover of Local Authority CircularLAC (2002)13and is still in force.
	Practice guidance in support of the policy guidance was published on 2 August 2002 and updated on 6 March 2003 to assist councils with their final preparations for implementation by 7 April 2003. The practice guidance makes it clear that the carrying out and completion of a community care assessment should not be contingent on whether or not an individual can pay for care services, be they provided in a care home or the individual's own home.

Infant Foods

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to extend the consultation on the partial regulatory impact assessment on the Infant Formula and Follow-on Formula (England) Regulations 2007 to obtain views on a third option of fully implementing the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and subsequent World Health Assembly resolutions on the health, social and environmental aspects of marketing breastmilk substitutes, giving these precedence over trade considerations; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Food Standards Agency launched, on 2 July, a 12-week public consultation on draft domestic regulations which will lay down rules about the composition, labelling and advertising of formulae requesting views from stakeholders on a range of issues. Any responses received, including those that suggest alternative options, will be considered as part of the consultation exercise. The agency will consider all responses to the consultation before finalising the regulations.

Infectious Diseases: East Sussex

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of healthcare-acquired infections there were while in  (a) hospital and  (b) care homes in (i) Eastbourne and (ii) East Sussex in each of the last 10 years.

Ann Keen: The data is not available as requested.
	The best available information is from the mandatory surveillance systems for Meticillin resistant  staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Clostridium difficile infection and Glycopeptide resistant enterococci for acute national health service trusts in England rather than individual hospitals, these commenced in April 2001, January 2004 and October 2003 respectively.
	Data for care homes is not collected centrally as mandatory surveillance only covers acute trusts.
	Reported cases of health care associated infection for the East Sussex NHS trust in Eastbourne are shown in the following tables with reports from other NHS acute trusts in East Sussex.
	
		
			  Number of reported MRSA bloodstream infections (bacteraemias) 
			  Trust  April 2001 to March 2002  April 2002 to March 2003  April 2003 to March 2004  April 2004 to March 2005  April 2005 to March 2006  April 2006 to December 2006 
			 East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust 67 52 60 42 59 71 
			 Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust 86 74 107 129 141 80 
			 Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust 28 47 48 35 37 17 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of reported cases of Clostridium difficile infection 
			  Trust  January to December 2004  January to December 2005  January to December 2006 
			 East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust 393 387 374 
			 Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust 368 472 588 
			 Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust 315 283 282 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of reported cases of glycopeptide-resistant enterococci (GRE) bacteraemia 
			  Trust  October 2003 to September 2004  October 2004 to September 2005 
			 East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust 2 4 
			 Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust 5 2 
			 Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust 3 0 
			  Source: Health Protection Agency

Influenza

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his estimate is of the number of additional call handlers in England required to maintain 24/7 access to local health services during an influenza pandemic; what role NHS Direct will have in the event of an influenza pandemic; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Work is currently taking place to scope the additional numbers of call handlers required to support local health services. The Department is working closely with stakeholders such as NHS Direct and the Central Office of Information to test assumptions and inform estimations.
	In the event of a pandemic, NHS Direct will continue to provide advice and information to non-flu patients (who will continue to require access to health care in a pandemic), and will provide key services to flu patients, in support of local services.

Influenza Pandemic

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 13 September 2006,  Official Report, columns 2284W, on influenza pandemic, which research groups have been  (a) offered and  (b) taken delivery of A/H5N1 vaccine from the 3.5 million stockpile; how many vaccines have been delivered to research groups; what the current size of the remaining stockpile is; what safety data his Department has received on the A/H5N1 vaccine which contribute to the stockpile; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: To date no research groups have requested any materials from the stockpile. Safety data were submitted as part of the tenders. The most common adverse reactions were soreness at the injection site and malaise. No serious reactions were reported.

Influenza: Disease Control

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what further discussions he has held with  (a) EU Health Ministers and  (b) the European Commission on the subject of building an EU-wide stockpile of antivirals for use in the event of an influenza pandemic since the informal meeting of 25 and 26 April 2006.

Dawn Primarolo: The idea of a European Union stockpile of antivirals medicines for use in the event of an influenza pandemic was discussed by Health Ministers at the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council on 2 June 2006. No consensus could be reached on the idea and in view of this the European Commission concluded that the idea should not be pursued.

Influenza: Disease Control

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the names are of each strategic health authority's influenza lead, as described on page 13 of the Chief Medical Officer's 2006 Annual Report, On the State of Public Health.

Dawn Primarolo: The names of the strategic health authority influenza leads are as follows:
	Roger GrossLondon
	Linda SheridanEast of England
	Hannah WallEast Midlands
	Eugene MilneNorth East
	Kate Ardern/Frank WhitefordNorth West
	Anna TaylorSouth East Coast
	Sally CasleyYorkshire and Humber
	Jody JamesSouth West
	Ian CaveSouth Central
	Gillian SmithWest Midlands

Influenza: Disease Control

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the scope is of the audit of NHS pandemic preparedness described on page 13 of the Chief Medical Officer's 2006 Annual Report, On the State of Public Health; which  (a) organisations and  (b) other parties will be subject to audit; who will conduct the audit; when the decision was taken to conduct the audit; whether the results of the audit will be published; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The audit tool is specific to national health service organisations. NHS organisations will self assess their state of preparedness and will use the results to target the areas that need additional development. Strategic health authorities will use the results to work with the NHS organisations in their area. It was decided that the audit should coincide with the formal publication of the National Framework and supporting guidance.

Information Services: Expenditure

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the Government has spent on  (a) sexual health information and  (b) travel health awareness in (i) Hampshire and (ii) England since 1997.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department does not collect information on expenditure in Hampshire.
	The Department's expenditure on sexual health campaigns, including HIV, contraception and prevention of sexually transmitted infections is set out in the following table.
	
		
			million 
			 1997-98 4.700 
			 1998-99 4.800 
			 1999-2000 6.000 
			 2000-01 4.600 
			 2001-02 4.600 
			 2002-03 6.600 
			 2003-04 6.600 
			 2004-05 6.600 
			 2005-06 5.120 
			 2006-07 11.100 
			 2007-08 9.800 
		
	
	Information on expenditure on travel health awareness is not identified separately, but is undertaken as part of wider departmental work programmes. Work currently includes travel health awareness initiatives undertaken by the National Travel Health Network and Centre, based at the Health Protection Agency, the leaflet 'Travelsafe', covering HIV hepatitis C and hepatitis B and the health information for overseas travel, for general practitioners and practice nurses. The Department also produces information for travellers to Mecca as part of the Hajj campaign.
	The Department is also running various summer holiday activities as part of the Condom Essential Wear campaign, and we have also funded the Terrence Higgins Trust to produce booklets on HIV prevention for gay travellers overseas.

Kidney Patients: Portsmouth

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has  (a) to replace,  (b) to refurbish and  (c) to expand renal units in Portsmouth.

Ann Keen: It is for the local national health service, in partnership with strategic health authorities and other local stakeholders to plan, develop and improve services for local people.

Medical Equipment

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has taken a decision on whether to procure and stockpile face masks centrally.

Dawn Primarolo: No decision has been taken on whether to procure and stockpile face masks centrally.

Mental Health Services

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many children are receiving cognitive behavioural therapy funded by the NHS;
	(2)  how many accredited child specialist mental health practitioners are working in the NHS.

Ivan Lewis: Information is not available in the format requested. The National Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Mapping Exercise for 2006, asked each CAMHS team whether they carry out cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and how often they did so. They found that 642 teams used CBT on a weekly basis, 207 less than weekly and 147 teams never.
	Data from the 2006 CAMHS Mapping shows that the CAMHS teams had a total of 9,796 staff. This includes child psychotherapists, doctors, nurses and other therapists and staff in both the national health service and local authority sector dedicated to caring for children and young people who have mental health problems.

Mental Health Services

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many mental health beds there were in each of the last 10 years, broken down by trust.

Ivan Lewis: Information about mental health bed numbers for each trust from 2000-01 to 2005-06 has been placed in the Library.

Mental Health Services

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many mental health beds there were for  (a) children and  (b) female patients in each of the last 10 years.

Ivan Lewis: Information about the number of mental health beds available for children in the national health service in England, for each year from 1996-97 to 2005-06 is shown in the table. Data on mental health bed availability is not collected by the Department on the basis of gender.
	
		
			  Average daily total children's mental health bed numbers in the NHS in England: combined male and female 
			   Number 
			 1996-97 538 
			 1997-98 522 
			 1998-99 538 
			 1999-2000 482 
			 2000-01 531 
			 2001-02 484 
			 2002-03 504 
			 2003-04 518 
			 2004-05 525 
			 2005-06 509 
			  Source: Department of Health Hospital Activity Statistics Form KH03.

Mental Health Services

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many mental health beds there were in  (a) low,  (b) medium and  (c) high secure units in each of the last 10 years.

Ivan Lewis: Information is not available in the requested format. Data is available for the average daily total number of beds in all secure units for each year between 1996-97 and 2005-06, except for 2001-02 and 2002-03 when this data was not collected, and this is shown in the table. Separate data on bed numbers for each security level is not collected.
	
		
			  Average daily total secure unit bed numbers in the National Health Service in England: combined male and female 
			   Number 
			 1996-97 1,575 
			 1997-98 1,921 
			 1998-99 1,747 
			 1999-2000 1,882 
			 2000-01 1,952 
			 2001-02 n/a 
			 2002-03 n/a 
			 2003-04 2,569 
			 2004-05 2,696 
			 2005-06 2,807 
			  Source:  Department of Health Hospital Activity Statistics Form KH03

Mental Health Services: Crimes of Violence

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many attacks there were on  (a) staff and  (b) patients (i) on mental health wards and (ii) in specialist mental health units in each of the last 10 years, broken down by sex.

Ivan Lewis: This information is not available in the requested format. The NHS Security Management Service (SMS) collects data on reported physical assaults against national health service staff in England by trusts providing mental health services. Data is available from 2004-05 to 2005-06 and is shown in the following table, but data is not available prior to this nor is it collected by gender.
	
		
			   Total assaults  Total staff  Assaults per 1,000 staff 
			 2004-05 43,097 208,488 206.71 
			 2005-06 41,345 210,528 196.39 
			  Source: NHS Security Management Service. 
		
	
	Information about attacks on patients is collected by the National Patient Safety Agency through its national reporting and learning system. Between November 2003 to September 2005, 10,467 patient safety incidents involving disruptive or aggressive behaviour in all in-patient settings were recorded, out of a total of 44,656 patient safety incidents related to mental health. Of these 10,467 incidents, 558 were categorised as patient abuse by a third party. This included both physical and verbal incidents. Data is not available outside of this reporting period nor on a gender basis.

Mental Health Services: East Sussex

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many mental health patients moved on to independent living in  (a) Eastbourne and  (b) East Sussex in each of the last five years.

Ivan Lewis: This information is not collected centrally by the Department.

Mental Health Services: Hertfordshire

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will take steps to increase the funding allocated to Hertfordshire's mental health services;
	(2)  what the total amount of NHS funding made available to the Hertfordshire Partnership Mental Health Trust was in each financial year from 2001.

Ivan Lewis: The Department allocates funding directly to primary care trusts (PCTs). It is the responsibility of PCTs to ensure that the services they commission meet the needs of the communities that they serve.
	Hertfordshire Partnership Mental Health Trust's planned investment is as follows, these are the latest data available.
	
		
			   Planned investment in mental health ( million) 
			 2002-03 39.9 
			 2003-04 57.2 
			 2004-05 55.2

Mental Health Services: Hertfordshire

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that the Hertfordshire Partnership Mental Health Trust is not making a disproportionate financial contribution towards meeting Hertfordshire's NHS deficits.

Ivan Lewis: The East of England Strategic Health Authority (SHA) has advised that none of the Mental Health Trusts in the East of England were top sliced. The SHA is the headquarters for the national health service locally and has a statutory responsibility to ensure that the health economy achieves financial balance year on year.

Mental Health Services: Safety

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure the safety of patients and staff on mental health wards.

Ivan Lewis: In line with standard 5 of the National Service Framework for Mental Health, we continue to seek ways of promoting improvements to mental health wards that enhance the safety of patients and staff and the quality of care provided. Specific steps taken recently include the investment of an extra 130 million capital in 2006-07 to update the mental health estate and to ensure that each mental health trust has access to an appropriate place of safety. Out of this sum, 100 million is being allocated to psychiatric intensive care units and places of safety between 2006-07 and 2007-08. Last November, we announced that the remaining 30 million should focus on capital schemes in 2007-08, promoting safety in acute wards, particularly for women service users.
	The Healthcare Commission (HC) and the National Institute of Mental Health in England (NIMHE), with support from the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Mental Health Act Commission, have developed the assessment framework which underpins the HC's 2006-07 national acute in-patient service review. The review was launched in June and will assess whether admissions to acute in-patient mental health services are appropriate, purposeful, therapeutic and safe. The results will be published in the autumn.
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published guidelines on the management of violence in health care settings in 2004 and NIMHE is now finalising specific guidance for mental health service providers in the light of NICE's recommendations.
	NIMHE are currently developing joint positive practice guidance with the Association of Chief Police Officers on health and police liaison. This will include key areas around absence without leave, places of safety, patient safety and ward violence and drugs, public safety and learning the lessons from homicides. This is due for publication at the end of the year.

Mental Health Services: Young People

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services cases underwent treatment which lasted under  (a) under one month,  (b) under three months,  (c) under six months and  (d) over a year in each of the last three years.

Ivan Lewis: This information is not collected centrally.

Mental Health Services: Young People

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many strategic health authorities offer a child and adolescent mental health services specialist on 24-hour call out service;
	(2)  which child and adolescent mental health services facilities  (a) closed and  (b) experienced a reduction in services during each of the last three years.

Ivan Lewis: Information is not collected centrally on the child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) that may have closed or have reduced services in the last three years.
	However, the latest information coming from the Department's public service agreement standard of a comprehensive CAMHS in every area shows that every primary care trust, bar two, has met the assessment of this standard. Achievement of the standard has been assessed against three proxy measures, one of which is the provision of a 24/7 emergency service.

Mental Health Services: Young People

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much is allocated to child and adolescent mental health services for each of the next three years.

Ivan Lewis: In December 2005, the Department announced that 88.2 million would be allocated to local authorities in 2007-08 via the child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) grant. This grant is to be used by local authorities to improve CAMHS, in accordance with local needs and priorities, as set out in local CAMHS development strategies. In 2007-08, 50 million has been made available to strategic health authorities for CAMHS as part of a larger bundle of revenue funding for the national health service. In 2007-08, we have also made available to the NHS 31 million of capital funds for investment by providers of CAMHS. Bids for these funds have been invited and priority will be given to projects which will help to eliminate the inappropriate use of adult psychiatric wards for children and young people.
	The annual CAMHS mapping exercise shows that overall expenditure on specialist CAMHS increased from 431 million in 2004-05 to a projected 513 million in 2005-06, an increase of 19 per cent.
	Funding for CAMHS beyond 2007-08 is being considered as part of the comprehensive spending review (CSR). It is anticipated that details of the CSR settlement will be announced in autumn 2007.

Mental Health Services: Young People

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) health professionals and  (b) administrators were employed by the child and adolescent mental health services in each of the last three years.

Ivan Lewis: Data from the 2006 child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) mapping shows that the CAMHS teams had a total of 9,796 staff. This includes child psychotherapists, doctors, nurses and other therapists and staff in both the national health service and local authority sector dedicated to caring for children and young people who have mental health problems. The following table gives the total number of staff for both health professionals and administrative staff for each year since 2003.
	
		
			  Overall CAMHS mapping work force figures 2003 to 2006 
			   2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Administration 1,230 1,393 1,552 1,559 
			 Child psychotherapists 270 312 289 287 
			 Doctors 866 1,008 1,019 1,064 
			 Family therapist   274 296 
			 Managers 120 161 227 188 
			 Nurses 2,038 2,517 2,600 2,770 
			 Occupational therapist 159 165 176 157 
			 Other qualified staff 426 254 352 262 
			 Other qualified therapist 507 522 447 396 
			 Other qualified staff 511 219 394 400 
			 Primary mental health worker  382 506 548 
			 Psychologists 997 1,320 1,320 1,269 
			 Social workers 638 640 722 599 
			 Total work force 7,761 8,894 9,876 9,796

Mental Health Services: Young People

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting times were to see a child and adolescent mental health services specialist in each of the last five years.

Ivan Lewis: Information is not collected in the format requested. The most recent information available is from the 2006 child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS) mapping exercise. In November 2006, there were 23,705 children and young people waiting to be seen by specialist CAMHS in England, a reduction of 2,494 from the previous year. There were 26,199 children and young people waiting in 2005, 30,716 in 2004 and 28,880 in 2003.
	In November 2006 51 per cent. of new cases were seen by specialist CAMHS within four weeks, an additional 36 per cent. within 13 weeks, and a further 9 per cent. within 26 weeks.
	In November 2005 52 per cent. of new cases were seen by specialist CAMHS within four weeks, an additional 33 per cent. within 13 weeks, and a further 10 per cent. within 26 weeks. 5 per cent. of children and young people waited over 26 weeks to be seen by specialist CAMHS. In 2002, only 24 per cent. of new cases were seen within four weeks and just over 50 per cent. were seen with 13 weeks.
	
		
			  Waits for cases still waiting to be seen by the end of the sample period 
			   = 4 weeks  5 to = 13 weeks  14 to = 26 weeks   26 weeks  Total cases 
			 2002  50.8 29.4 19.8 21,329 
			 2003 28 32 22 18 28,880 
			 2004 30 33 18 20 30,716 
			 2005 35 32 15 18 26,199 
			 2006 40.2 36.1 13.5 10.1 23,705 
		
	
	
		
			  Waits for new cases 
			  Percentage 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			  4 weeks 24.10 48.10 50.62 52.26 50.72 
			 5 to = 13 weeks 40.90 29.20 31.13 32.26 35.72 
			 14 to = 26 weeks 20.20 13.70 10.69 10.08 8.79 
			  26 weeks 14.80 9.00 7.55 5.40 4.77 
		
	
	The majority of new cases (51 per cent.) were reported as having waited less than four weeks to be seen by a CAMHS team. The wait of four weeks or less in the 2005, 2004 and 2003 mapping was experienced by 52 per cent., 51 per cent., and 48 per cent. of new cases respectively. 49.2 per cent. of new cases waited for more than four weeks in 2006, this is a higher proportion than the 47.7 per cent. in 2005, but lower than 49.4 per cent. in 2004 and 51.9 per cent. in 2003. 13.6 per cent. of new cases waited for more than 13 weeks in 2006, a lower proportion than 15.5 per cent. in 2005, 18.3 per cent. in 2004 and 22.7 per cent. in 2003. Waits over six months continued to fall, to 4.7 per cent. in 2006, from 5.4 per cent. in 2005, 7.6 per cent. in 2004 and 9.0 per cent. in 2003.

Mental Health Services: Young People

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of children treated by a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services specialist in each of the last five years was prescribed  (a) a talking therapy,  (b) medication and  (c) an alternative treatment.

Ivan Lewis: This information is not collected centrally. It is for primary care trusts to decide how best to work with local partners to obtain the best possible outcomes for patients.

Mental Health Services: Young People

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services have set up projects within the last year to work jointly with  (a) schools,  (b) youth offending teams and  (c) social workers.

Ivan Lewis: This information is not collected centrally.

Mentally Ill: Children

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children have been diagnosed with mental health disorders, broken down by type of disorder.

Ivan Lewis: We do not collect such information centrally. However, the Office for National Statistics has produced a report Mental health of children and young people in Great Britain, 2004 based on a survey of the mental health of children. This gives the prevalence of mental disorder in children aged between five and 16 as 9.6 per cent., broken down as follows: emotional disorders 3.7 per cent.; conduct disorders 5.8 per cent.; hyperkinetic disorders 1.5 per cent.; and less common disorders 1.3 per cent.

MRSA: Medical Treatments

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of using photodynamic therapy to treat patients with MRSA within the NHS.

Ann Keen: The Department has not made any specific assessments regarding the effectiveness of photodynamic therapy to treat patients with methicillin-resistant  Staphylococcus aureus.

Musculoskeletal Disorders: Health Services

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps have been taken to implement the Musculoskeletal Services Framework; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The Musculoskeletal Services Framework was published as good practice guidance, and as such the Department is not mandating its implementation. However, adopting this good practice will help organisations towards achieving the 18 weeks target.

National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how he communicates Government health policy to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE); and what requirements are placed on NICE to follow such policies.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department and national health service priorities are encapsulated in the published criteria for the selection of topics for referral to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). As part of the topic selection, proposed topics are assessed against the published criteria by one of a number of consideration panels. The panels are chaired by national clinical directors or other leading experts and are attended by relevant departmental policy officials who ensure the process is informed by Government policy.

NHS Next Stage Review

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his oral statement of 4 July 2007,  Official Report, columns 91-3, on NHS next stage review, if he will refer the decision of the Oxfordshire Radcliffe NHS Trust to reconfigure services at the Horton General hospital in Banbury, referred to him by the Oxfordshire Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee, to the independent reconfiguration panel.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 23 July 2007
	The oral statement of 4 July clearly stated that while Lord Darzi is undertaking his wide-ranging review of the NHS, the Secretary of State will, as a matter of course, ask the Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP) for advice on any decisions made at a local level which have been referred by Overview and Scrutiny Committees.
	As of 17 July 2007, a letter of referral from Oxfordshire Overview and Scrutiny Committee has not been received by the Department. Should such a referral be forthcoming, we would expect to seek the advice of the IRP on the case.

NHS: Carbon Emissions

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the annual carbon dioxide output of the NHS; and whether his Department is meeting its set targets to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Ivan Lewis: The most recent available figures show that in 2005-06 the estimated carbon dioxide output in the national health service was 3.31 million tonnes.
	The NHS was set mandatory targets in respect of energy efficiency and carbon emissions in 2001. In order to maintain the progress it has been making towards meeting these targets, the then Minister of State for Health Delivery and Reform (Andy Burnham) launched a 100 million capital energy and sustainability fund in January 2007. The fund will allow improvements in electrical efficiency and reduced carbon emissions in the NHS through a combination of various schemes. These will include identifying renewable energy sources, the installation of better building insulation, installation of combined heat and power units and the replacement of inefficient boilers and distribution systems.
	In respect of its own separate operational estate, the Department is currently on track to meet its target to reduce office carbon dioxide emissions by 12.5 per cent. by 2010-11, relative to 1999-2000 levels. It is also on track to meet the target to reduce its road transport emissions by 15 per cent. by 2010, relative to 2005-06 levels, including a new transport policy that will offer the opportunity to identify further savings.

NHS: Managers

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department is considering phasing out national clinical directors.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department has no plans to phase out national clinical directors.

Osteoporosis: Medical Treatments

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to publish mandatory alternative treatment options for patients for whom Alendronate is unsuitable; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: We have no plans to publish mandatory alternative treatment options for patients for whom Alendronate is unsuitable.

Prescriptions: Contraceptives

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescriptions were issued for emergency contraceptives in each month since January 2001.

Dawn Primarolo: The available information is shown in the following tables.
	The information shown in the table is for prescriptions dispensed in the community (almost all of these prescriptions are written by general practice) for emergency hormonal contraception.
	
		
			   Quarter( 1)  Items (Thousand ) 
			 2001 January-March 91.3 
			 2001 April-June 87.8 
			 2001 July-September 88.4 
			 2001 October-December 98.0 
			
			 2002 January-March 98.1 
			 2002 April-June 95.2 
			 2002 July-September 96.3 
			 2002 October-December 93.9 
			
			 2003 January-March 93.4 
			 2003 April-June 93.9 
			 2003 July-September 95.6 
			 2003 October-December 89.9 
			
			 2004 January-March 90.1 
			 2004 April-June 87.2 
			 2004 July-September 85.4 
			 2004 October-December 79.4 
			
			 2005 January-March 75.9 
			 2005 April-June 80.5 
			 2005 July-September 83.0 
			 2005 October-December 76.0 
			
			 2006 January-March 75.1 
			 2006 April-June 77.1 
			 2006 July-September 76.2 
			 2006 October-December 70.3 
			
			 2007 January-March 69.9 
			 (1) Figures are held on a quarterly not monthly basis.  Source: Prescription information is taken from the Prescription Cost Analysis system, supplied by the Prescription Pricing Division of the Business Services Authority, and is based on a full analysis of all prescriptions dispensed in the community i.e. by community pharmacists and appliance contractors, dispensing doctors, and prescriptions submitted by prescribing doctors for items personally administered in England. The data do not cover drugs dispensed in hospitals. 
		
	
	The information on emergency contraception supplied by community contraception clinics is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Occasions on which emergency contraception was supplied at community contraception clinics by type, 1995-96 to 2005-06, England 
			  T housand 
			   All ages 
			  Year( 1)  Total occasions  Hormonal  IU Device 
			 2001-02 198.5 193.4 5.1 
			 2002-03 191.6 187.0 4.6 
			 2003-04 187.4 183.2 4.2 
			 2004-05 178.5 174.1 4.5 
			 2005-06 169.3 164.5 4.8 
			 (1) Data are collected annually and are therefore not available monthly.  Source:  The Information Centre for Health and Social Care KT31 return  2007 The Information Centre. All rights reserved.

Prescriptions: Contraceptives

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women were  (a) given prescriptions for the oral contraceptive and  (b) given depot contraceptive injections in each of the last 10 years, broken down by (i) age and (ii) trust.

Dawn Primarolo: The available information on prescriptions dispensed in the community (almost all of which are written by general practice) for oral and injectable contraceptives by trust has been placed in the Library. Data on prescriptions by age are not available.
	Data for oral and injectable contraceptives supplied by community contraceptive clinics for the nine years preceding 2005-06 can be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, 2005-06 data for first contacts with women are available and have also been placed in the Library.

Primary Care Trusts: Redundancy Pay

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost was of redundancy payments associated with the reconfiguration of primary care trusts in the East of England in the financial year 2006-07; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: There were 255 compulsory redundancies made in East of England strategic health authority area in the 2006-07 financial year.
	The costs of early retirement and redundancy payments is not collected centrally.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections there were in  (a) Hampshire and  (b) England in each month since January 2001.

Dawn Primarolo: Data are not currently available for Hampshire and are not collected monthly. Hampshire is in the South Central Strategic Health Authority (SHA) and data for this SHA by quarter are given in the following table:
	
		
			  S TI  diagnoses South Central SHA 
			  Quarter  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 January-March 7,622 7,681 8,399 9,716 9,532 8,984 
			 April-June 7,504 7,705 8,502 9,649 10,598 10,118 
			 July-September 7,627 8,207 10,112 9,622 9,965 8,503 
			 October-December 7,619 7,987 9,232 8,937 9,638 6,726 
		
	
	Data for England are given in the following table.
	
		
			  STI diagnosesEngland 
			  Quarter  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 January-March 107,935 113,664 123,253 130,217 132,055 128,694 
			 April-June 105,343 113,807 122,685 128,714 142,074 125,701 
			 July-September 110,123 118,745 129,405 134,502 137,955 137,982 
			 October-December 108,875 116,853 121,514 132,445 133,278 125,461 
			  Note: The data available from the KC60 statutory returns are for diagnoses made in genito-urinary clinics only. Diagnoses made in other clinical settings, such as general practice, are not recorded in the KC60 dataset.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Young People

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children and young people under the age of 18 years have been diagnosed with  (a) chlamydia,  (b) gonorrhoea,  (c) genital herpes,  (d) genital warts,  (e) hepatitis B and  (f) syphilis in each of the last 10 years.

Dawn Primarolo: Data for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, genital herpes, genital warts and syphilis are published by the Health Protection Agency in their annual report Diagnoses of selected STIs by Strategic Health Authority, country, sex and age group, United Kingdom: 1997-2006, copies of which have been placed in the Library. Data is not collected by age for hepatitis B.
	This data is available at:
	www.hpa.org. uk/infections/topics_az/hiv_and_sti/epidemiology/datatables2006.htm.

Smoking: Death

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many deaths there were in  (a) England,  (b) Hampshire and  (c) Southampton as a result of (i) the consumption of alcohol and (ii) smoking in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: The following table provides the number of deaths with an alcohol-related underlying cause in England, Hampshire, and Southampton from 2002-06 (the latest year available).
	
		
			  Number of deaths with an alcohol-related underlying cause of death( 1) , England, Hampshire and Southampton( 2) , 2002- 06( 3) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 England 5,582 5,981 6,036 6,191 6,517 
			 Hampshire 93 139 118 128 142 
			 Southampton 36 31 25 35 32 
			 (1 )Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). The specific causes of death categorised as alcohol-related, and their corresponding ICD-10 codes, are shown as follows. (2) Based on boundaries as of 2007. (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.  Source: ONS National Statistics Online 
		
	
	
		
			  Alcohol-related causes of deathinternational classification of diseases, tenth revision (ICD-10) 
			  Cause of death  ICD-10 code(s) 
			 Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol F10 
			 Degeneration of nervous system due to alcohol G31.2 
			 Alcoholic polyneuropathy G62.1 
			 Alcoholic cardiomyopathy I42.6 
			 Alcoholic gastritis K29.2 
			 Alcoholic liver disease K70 
			 Chronic hepatitis, not elsewhere classified K73 
			 Fibrosis and cirrhosis of liver (excl. Biliary cirrhosis) K74 (excl. K74.3-K74.5) 
			 Alcohol induced chronic pancreatitis K86.0 
			 Accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol X45 
			 Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to alcohol X65 
			 Poisoning by and exposure to alcohol, undetermined intent Y15 
		
	
	Figures on the numbers of deaths attributable to smoking among people aged 35 or over are given in the following table. Figures are only available for Hampshire and Southampton for the periods 2002-04 and 2003-05 and for England for the periods 1998-02, 2002-04 and 2003-05. The figures for 2003-05 are not directly comparable with the figures for earlier years because of a change in methodology.
	
		
			  Deaths attributable to smoking among people aged 35 or over( 1) 
			   1998-2002( 1)  2002-04( 2)  2003-05( 2) 
			 England 86,500 86,100 87,000 
			 Hampshire n/a 1,873 1,931 
			 Southampton n/a 376 374 
			  Note: The figures for 2003-05 are not directly comparable with the figures for earlier years: the 2003-05 figures are based on the method developed by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, whereas the figures for earlier years are based on the method developed by the Institute for the Geography of Health at University of Portsmouth.  Sources: (1) The Smoking Epidemic in England, Health Development Agency, 2004 (2) Community Health Profiles, APHO and Department of Health

Social Services: Manpower

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are employed in adult social care in the ( a) public and  (b) private sector in (i) Leicestershire, (ii) the east midlands and (iii) England.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 23 July 2007
	This information is not collected centrally. The local government annual social services work force survey, undertaken by Local Government Analysis and Research, provides figures for the public sector only. As at 30 September 2005, there were approximately 108,435 people (headcount) employed in the public sector within the adult social care work force for England. Local and regional figures are not available.
	The Wanless Social Care Review, Kings Fund 2006, is another source of data across client groups and the private and voluntary sectors, further information can be found at:
	www.kingsfund.org.uk/publications.

Solvents: Misuse

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times the stakeholder group set up under the Volatile Substance Abuse Framework has met; and if he will place in the Library the minutes from these meetings.

Dawn Primarolo: A stakeholder group made up of key players in the field was set up in December 2004 to develop and implement the national framework for volatile substance abuse. The group was revised in December 2006 to include key departments across Government.
	The stakeholder group has met five times since its conception. Minutes, where available, have been placed in the Library. However, early meetings of the group were not minuted. In addition, minutes of the last stakeholder group meeting have yet to be finalised, and therefore are not available.

Transplant Surgery

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in how many cases cold perfusion of body parts has been  (a) started and  (b) continued to transplant in each year since 2000; and what the success rate has been.

Ann Keen: holding answer 23 July 2007
	This information is not held centrally.

Tuberculosis

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of tuberculosis were diagnosed in England between 2000 and 2006.

Dawn Primarolo: Details of tuberculosis cases reported in England between 2000 and 2005 are shown as follows. Data for 2006 are expected later this year.
	The following information is available on the Health Protection Agency website at:
	www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/tb/epidemiology/tables.htm
	
		
			  Number of Tuberculosis case reports in England 
			  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 6,091 6,414 6,638 6,741 7,049 7,846

Tuberculosis: Vaccination

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the main limiting factors are in the timescale of the development of new tuberculosis vaccine.

Dawn Primarolo: There are several organisations globally that are developing new tuberculosis vaccines, and currently four vaccines are in clinical trial phase. One of these vaccines is being developed by the University of Oxford. These vaccines have to be tested in clinical trials to show that they are both safe and effective before they can be used widely.

Wheelchairs

Anne Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when he plans to publish data provided by local wheelchair services in England to inform the new model of wheelchair service delivery;
	(2)  when he will publish the outline model for wheelchair service as part of the Transforming Community Equipment and Wheelchair Services Programme; and whether he will consult stakeholders on the suitability of the proposed model of wheelchair services following publication;
	(3)  what research has been undertaken to determine the adequacy and merits of a retail market model of provision for  (a) community equipment and  (b) wheelchair services for children and young people with complex disabilities;
	(4)  whether the demand forecasting tool envisaged by the proposed retail market model for community equipment services will record the unmet needs of children and young people.

Ivan Lewis: We have agreed a further data gathering exercise to be provided by local wheelchair services and have asked the care services efficiency delivery (CSED) programme to report to me in autumn 2007. A decision to publish data, research and the outline model will be made at that time.
	The outline model for community equipment services was published on the CSED website on 31 May 2007 at www.csed.csip.org.uk and has been placed in the Library. The Transforming Community Equipment and Wheelchair Services programme is a collaborative programme. CSED has worked in collaboration with over 250 stakeholders including users of services and their carers, local authority and health practitioners, current providers and suppliers, the third and private sectors, representatives of voluntary organisations, professional bodies and trade and provider associations to design a conceptual model suitable for adults and children.
	The programme is currently holding nine public regional events that are designed to share information, canvass opinion and collect feedback.
	The research undertaken has included determination of the adequacy and merits of a retail market model of provision for community equipment for children and young people with complex disabilities. A further validation exercise will take place in August 2007 to confirm that detailed design development is consistent with the needs of children.
	CSED are looking to adapt the projecting older people population information as the demand forecasting tool to take children's needs into account.

Wheelchairs: Children

Anne Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has included additional funding to improve the stock of wheelchairs provided to young children and young people in its submission to the Comprehensive Spending Review.

Ivan Lewis: The Department has worked closely with HM Treasury in preparation for the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR), and made clear its priorities for the CSR period. These discussions are ongoing and full details of the Department's settlement will be set out in the CSR White Paper.

Wheelchairs: Young People

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many requests for new wheelchairs for children and young people in each of the last five years were granted  (a) within a month,  (b) within three months and  (c) after over six months;
	(2)  how many children are on a waiting list to receive  (a) a lightweight manual wheelchair and  (b) powered mobility equipment;
	(3)  how many NHS wheelchairs available for children and young people have been in service for  (a) less than one year,  (b) less than five years and  (c) more than 10 years.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested is not held centrally. National health service wheelchair services are funded and managed at a local level. It is up to individual primary care trusts to determine the appropriate level of funding for their service and to assess and meet the needs of each individual using their service.

Wheelchairs: Young People

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the review of community equipment and wheelchair services will address the specific needs of children and young people; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The transforming community equipment and wheelchair services project is addressing the specific needs of children. The project scope includes all community equipment provided to children, their families and carers.